ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The leader of the Kurdish opposition party People’s Front (Baray Gal) is set to appear in court in the Kurdistan Region’s eastern Sulaimani province on Monday, a well-placed source told Rudaw, adding that Lahur Talabany is expected to stand trial over previous charges, including “premeditated murder” and “plotting acts of sabotage,” allegations he has denied.
The source from the Sulaimani court elaborated that “the trial has been scheduled for 10:00 am [local time] on Monday,” adding that “the judge will determine the relevant legal articles” under which Talabany will be tried.
“The charges against him [Talabany] are the same as those for which he was initially arrested - namely, premeditated murder and planning acts of sabotage,” the source added.
Lahur Talabany, a former co-president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), for which Sulaimani is a power base, was arrested in late August following a violent standoff between his armed loyalists and local security personnel.
Sulaimani security forces (Asayish) later released what they described as confessions from a group allegedly linked to Lahur Talabany, detailing a plot to assassinate PUK leader Bafel Talabani.