Kirkuk Court Fines Kurdish Farmer One Million Dinars After Disputed Land Incident

PUKMEDIA

Kurdish farmer Mohammed Amin speaking at a press conference.

The Kirkuk Misdemeanour Court has fined Kurdish farmer Mohammed Amin, from Shanagha village, one million Iraqi dinars following an incident last year involving an Iraqi soldier who attempted to prevent farmers from working on their land.

The incident occurred on 17 February 2025, when Iraqi soldier Karar Shaker attempted to pull Amin from his tractor while farmers were working their land. In a video footage captured the media, Shaker grabed Amin by the cloth around his neck, sparking widespread public outrage. He later filed a legal complaint against Amin.

Speaking at a press conference following the court’s ruling, Amin described the decision as “unjust and unfair” and said he would appeal to higher authorities to seek justice.

“This case is linked to the fate of the national cause, not just my personal issue,” Amin said. “I assure everyone that I will continue to defend the land of Kurdistan. As long as we have a drop of blood left in our veins, we will defend the land and the people.”

He also said the lands at the centre of the dispute were Kurdish lands and should be returned to their rightful owners.

Commenting on the court’s ruling, Amin said that the decision had been influenced and maintained that the evidence presented during the trial was sufficient to establish that the Iraqi soldier had attempted to strangle him rather than merely assault him, as stated in the complaint.

The Kirkuk court has issued its final ruling, imposing a one-million-dinar fine on Amin, who is a representative of the protesting farmers.

Under Iraq’s fallen Ba’ath regime, agricultural lands belonging to Kurdish and Turkmen families in Kirkuk, Tuz Khurmatu, Khanaqin and other areas were confiscated as part of demographic policies and the government's Arabisation process in Kirkuk and the other areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad. State-issued contracts later granted use of some of the land to Arab families relocated from other parts of Iraq.

Although the Ba’ath regime had fallen in 2003, the land ownership disputes has not been resolved so far.

Article 140 of Iraq’s 2005 Constitution established a process involving normalisation, a census and a referendum to address the consequences of demographic changes in the disputed areas. However, implementation of the article remains incomplete, leaving many farming communities to pursue competing ownership claims through administrative authorities and the courts.

For affected farmers, the unresolved legacy of these policies continues to shape who can cultivate, harvest and remain on agricultural land today.



PUKMEDIA