Lahur Sheikh Jangi trial delayed after not-guilty pleas

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Al-Sulaymaniyah Criminal Court has postponed the trial of People's Front Party (PFP) leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi, his brother Bolad and 10 others in connection with the 2025 Lalezar case after all of them denied the charges against them, Shafaq News learned on Thursday.

On August 22, 2025, armed clashes broke out around Al-Sulaymaniyah's Lalezar Hotel between security forces affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and gunmen loyal to Sheikh Jangi. The fighting left casualties on both sides and ended with Sheikh Jangi and dozens of his supporters detained.

Dana Taqi Al-Din, a member of Sheikh Jangi's defense team hearing told a press conference that the session was the seventh in the case, adding that the court presented the charges to the defendants during the session, while the defense did not submit its legal brief.

The case will return to court next Thursday, when the charges are expected to be read out again as proceedings enter a new stage focused on submissions from the prosecution and defense. The court has not indicated what verdicts could eventually be issued.

The latest hearing was conducted under Article 56 of the Iraqi Penal Code. Taqi Al-Din said the defense would appeal any ruling issued by the Criminal Court and seek a review of the decision.

Read more: Arresting Lahur Jangi in Al-Sulaymaniyah: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR