Why is Behzad Khusrawi's extradition to Iran significant for Kurdish politics?
The PUK's handover of Behzad Khusrawi, an Iranian Kurdish opposition activist, to Iran's Etila'at intelligence agency signals a notable shift in Kurdish regional politics. While both the PUK and KDP have previously surrendered opposition activists to Iran and Turkey, this case stands out because of: 1. its public acknowledgment by the PUK-led Kurdistan Security Agency and 2. also for its timing, coinciding with the disarmament and relocation of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups to a supervised camp.
Khusrawi's status as a UN-recognized refugee, which should have guaranteed protection against extradition, makes this situation particularly alarming. The agency claims Khusrawi voluntarily agreed to return to Iran, signing a document to this effect. Reports of his recent mental health struggles raise serious concerns about his vulnerability. He may have been coerced, or his compromised mental state might have been exploited, leading him to sign documents he would not have agreed to under normal circumstances.
Compounding the controversy, Khusrawi's family - his mother and sister who lived with him - were neither informed nor consulted. Instead, they were ordered to leave Sulaimani within 10 days of his transfer. The KDPI, a major Iranian Kurdish opposition group, has confirmed Khusrawi's membership and decried the PUK's unilateral action.
This incident coincides with another contentious development: the disarmament and relocation of Iranian opposition groups in Sulaimani to a supervised civilian camp. These groups claim they had no choice but to accept terms negotiated between Iraq and Iran, with both KDP and PUK security representatives involved. The KRG Interior Minister, a close Masrour Barzani ally, has affirmed their commitment to this agreement.
What further compounds concerns is the potential for this case to set a precedent for other Iranian Kurdish activists. With Kurdistan elections just over a month away, the PUK's vulnerability and the Talabani brothers' (Bafel and Qubad) increasing reliance on Iran suggest they may make more concessions to the regime than they would have otherwise. The PUK has already begun a clampdown on former party leaders, who are growing in number. This internal strife is being exploited by the KDP to further sow discord in Sulaimani, already the most politically diverse area not just in Kurdistan, but possibly in all of Iraq.
This volatile situation is likely to push the Talabani brothers to rely even more heavily on external support to maintain power amid the growing chaos in the city. The implications of these developments extend beyond Khusrawi's case, potentially reshaping the political landscape of the region and the treatment of opposition groups and refugees.