ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A new group of detainees arrested during an August raid on the Lalezar Hotel in Sulaimani has been released, including the head of opposition leader Lahur Talabany’s personal security detail, a lawyer and a security source confirmed. The development comes a day after Talabany and his brother Polad launched a hunger strike in prison.
"Today, 11 more of the Lalezar detainees were released,” Qadir Agha Mantik, a lawyer representing the detainees, told Rudaw on Monday, adding those freed included Muhsin Khoshnaw, the head of Talabany’s personal guards.
A security source also confirmed the releases to Rudaw, noting that the detainees were released on bail and it was unrelated to the hunger strike. “They must appear in court whenever required,” the source said.
The detainees were arrested following a major security operation in August last year, when Sulaimani security forces - including Counter-Terrorism (CTG), Asayish, and Commando units - raided the Lalezar Hotel after Lahur Talabany refused to surrender. The standoff lasted around three hours before Talabany, his brother Polad, and several associates were detained.
Lahur Talabany, a former co-president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and leader of the opposition People’s Front (Baray Gal), has remained in detention since then. He first appeared before a judge on January 12, 2026, in Sulaimani, though no final ruling was issued, and the case was referred to the Kurdistan Region Court of Appeals in Erbil for review.
Late Sunday, Talabany announced he had begun a hunger strike in protest against his detention and the handling of his trial.
“For eight months, we have been unjustly imprisoned in total disregard of all institutional and legal norms,” Talabany said in a statement posted on his Facebook page, adding that “together with Kak Polad, we have decided to go on a hunger strike starting today until the rule of law is upheld in our case.”
In the same statement, Talabany accused political interference in the judiciary, claiming there was “evident pressure” from his cousins, PUK President Bafel Talabani and Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, affecting the legal process.
“To expose your fabricated scenarios, we are once again ready to risk our lives so that everyone knows you have left no independent role for the courts and institutions of Sulaimani,” the statement added.
Authorities have previously accused Talabany of involvement in plotting attacks, including an alleged assassination attempt against PUK President Bafel Talabani - claims his party has consistently denied. Court sources have indicated that potential charges may include “premeditated murder” and “planning acts of sabotage."