COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT KURDISTAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IRAQ 21 MAY 2009 UK Border Agency KURDISTAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IRAQ 21 MAY 2009 COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 5 May 2009. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 20 May 2009. 21 MAY 2009 KURDISTAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IRAQ Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN KRG FROM 6 MAY 2009 TO 20 MAY 2009 REPORTS ON KRG PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 6 MAY 2009 AND 20 MAY 2009 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................1.01 Dahuk............................................................................................1.07 Erbil...............................................................................................1.08 Sulaymaniah.................................................................................1.09 Maps..............................................................................................1.10 2. ECONOMY .............................................................................................2.01 3. HISTORY ...............................................................................................3.01 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ...........................................................................4.01 5. CONSTITUTION ........................................................................................5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ..................................................................................6.01 Kurdistan Regional Government................................................6.02 Relationship between the KRG and Government of Iraq...........6.04 Presidency....................................................................................6.07 Kurdistan National Assembly.....................................................6.09 Elections.......................................................................................6.14 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................7.01 8. SECURITY SITUATION ................................................................................8.01 9. SECURITY FORCES ...................................................................................9.01 Overview.......................................................................................9.01 Peshmerga...................................................................................9.07 KRG police...................................................................................9.14 Asayeesh (Asayish).....................................................................9.19 Arbitrary arrest, detention and torture by security forces........9.24 Avenues of complaint..................................................................9.38 10. JUDICIARY .............................................................................................10.01 Religious and tribal law...............................................................10.08 11. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................11.01 12. PRISON CONDITIONS ..............................................................................12.01 13. DEATH PENALTY ...................................................................................13.01 14. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ...........................................................................14.01 Freedom of political expression.................................................14.01 Freedom of association and assembly......................................14.04 Opposition groups and political activists..................................14.07 15. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ................................................................15.01 Newspapers, radio and television..............................................15.03 Internet..........................................................................................15.08 Journalists....................................................................................15.09 16. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ...........................16.01 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 5 May 2009. 3 Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 20 May 2009. KURDISTAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IRAQ 21 MAY 2009 17. CORRUPTION ..........................................................................................17.01 18. FREEDOM OF RELIGION .............................................................................18.01 Non-Muslim religious groups.....................................................18.03 Christians..................................................................................18.06 Yazidis.......................................................................................18.16 Sabean Mandaeans..................................................................18.21 Kaka’i........................................................................................18.24 Shabaks....................................................................................18.25 19. ETHNIC GROUPS ......................................................................................19.01 Map...............................................................................................19.04 Kurds............................................................................................19.05 Arabs.............................................................................................19.07 Turkmens......................................................................................19.08 20. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS ....................................20.01 Legal rights..................................................................................20.05 21. WOMEN ................................................................................................21.01 Legal rights..................................................................................21.03 Political rights..............................................................................21.07 Social and economic rights........................................................21.09 Violence against women.............................................................21.12 Domestic violence.....................................................................21.21 Sexual violence and abuse........................................................21.25 'Honour' killings/crimes..............................................................21.26 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)...............................................21.36 Forced marriage .......................................................................21.40 Women’s shelters......................................................................21.42 Prostitution...................................................................................21.45 22. CHILDREN .............................................................................................22.01 Overview.......................................................................................22.01 Child abuse..................................................................................22.02 Child labour..................................................................................22.03 Legislative framework.................................................................22.05 Education.....................................................................................22.06 Child care: orphans and street children.....................................22.12 Child soldiers...............................................................................22.15 23. TRAFFICKING .......................................................................................23.01 24. MEDICAL ISSUES ...................................................................................24.01 Drugs and medical equipment....................................................24.08 Doctors and healthcare workers.................................................24.10 HIV/AIDS – anti-retroviral treatment...........................................24.13 Mental health................................................................................24.15 25. HUMANITARIAN ISSUES .............................................................................25.01 Landmines/unexploded ordnance (UXO)...................................25.04 26. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT ...........................................................................26.01 Transport infrastructure..............................................................26.01 Access to KRG area.....................................................................26.08 Documentation for travel within Iraq..........................................26.18 Treatment of returned failed asylum seekers............................26.23 27. INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE (IDPS) ....................................................27.01 28. FOREIGN REFUGEES ..............................................................................28.01 29. CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONALITY .................................................................29.01 30.