ERBIL — Three election observers have been detained in Sulaymaniyah during the parliamentary vote taking place today across Iraq, said an NGO.
“Two women and one man observing a polling station in Sulaymaniyah were taken by security forces in casuals at around noon during the Iraqi parliamentary elections,” said Chira Shamal, head of Birnas Organization which is officially registered by the Electoral Commission to monitor the polls.
“We have been trying to contact our observers for the past two hours, but they are out of reach as their cell phones are switched off,” Shamal added.
She further explained that there is no excuse for arresting the election observers, especially that they are officially registered by the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).