Christian graves desecrated in Erbil, suspect arrested

Shafaq News – Erbil

Kurdish security forces (Asayish) have detained a man accused of vandalizing Christian graves in Erbil province, the Kurdistan Region Security Council said on Wednesday.

According to a statement from the Council, the damage was discovered on December 13 at a Christian cemetery in the Shaqlawa district, where several headstones were defaced. Investigators later identified the suspect, who admitted during questioning that he carried out the act while under the influence of alcohol.

Authorities added that the same individual had been arrested in 2022 on charges of setting fire to a religious shrine in Erbil’s market area, a case in which he served a legal sentence before being released.

The arrest follows a separate incident earlier this month in which unknown assailants vandalized a Christian cemetery in Erbil on December 3. Officials have not announced any arrests in that case, nor have they confirmed whether the two incidents are linked.

The Kurdistan Region is home to a range of religious communities, including Christians, Yazidis, and Muslims, and Regional authorities have repeatedly said in previous statements that the protection of religious sites remains a priority.