Sherwan Taha – A Civil Rights Activist

Facebook
Twitter
Email
WhatsApp
Print
people at a protest holding sheets of paper with signs

We’d like to introduce you to Sherwan Taha – a Civil Rights activist, university lecturer, Badinan prisoner and partner of CPT.  

On 5 September 2020, Sherwan was one of nine civil society activists and journalists unjustly imprisoned by security forces following a crackdown on freedom of expression in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). These nine  became known as the Badinan Prisoners.

“I hope that CPT’s work could be increased to reach [all] vulnerable people, not only in the Kurdistan region, but everywhere in the world.” 

While imprisoned at the Erbil Asaish prison, Sherwan was denied access to lawyers and family visits. On the day he was arrested, Sherwan’s mother came to the prison to try and see her son, but was not allowed to meet with him. The next day she died from a heart attack. In protest of his rights being denied and poor treatment, Sherwan took part in a hunger strike. 

Sherwan was imprisoned until his release on 10 April 2022. The CPT Iraqi Kurdistan team has accompanied Sherwan throughout his imprisonment, trial, and since his release. Hear from Sherwan in his own words:

Subscribe to the Friday Bulletin

Get Ryan’s thoughts and the entire bulletin every Friday in your inbox, and don’t miss out on news from the teams, a list of what we’re reading and information on ways to take action.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Read More Stories

we are all palestine action

A political and moral turning point

For two weeks, Israel and the US turned their sights on Iran—and then, just like that, it stopped. A fortnight of phone calls with relatives,

A drawing of the woman's march

Women’s March for Peace

After a visit to the house of Ashti Khan, the CPT Iraqi Kurdistan team hears the story of how a women’s march interrupted a bloody civil war.

cityscape tehran

Iran interrupted again

The fallout from Israel’s war of aggression on Iran has left us at CPT worried about the safety of our teams in Iraqi Kurdistan and

Skip to content