The Erbil Governorate Police Directorate said equipment was removed from the NRT office under a court order following a lawsuit filed by the building owner over alleged unpaid rent. NRT, however, disputes the legal process, saying it was not notified of the case and that rent for May had already been paid.

Police Cite Unpaid Rent and Court Order

In a statement, the Erbil Police said the owner of property No. 13.78.66 in Erbil's Naznaz neighborhood filed a complaint on July 16, 2026, alleging that the NRT bureau had failed to pay rent for several months.

The police said the Erbil Investigative Court subsequently ordered the building to be vacated. On Monday, July 20, the Erbil Governorate Police Directorate carried out the eviction, returned the property to its owner, and removed the office equipment. According to the statement, the operation took place in the presence of a judicial investigator from the Erbil Investigative Court and the director of the NRT bureau in Erbil.

Police said all procedures were conducted in accordance with judicial orders and within the framework of the law.

Legal Questions Raised Over Court Jurisdiction

Under Kurdistan Region law, disputes involving rental properties are generally handled by the Civil Court (First Instance Court), while the Investigative Court primarily deals with criminal cases.

In such cases, landlords are required to pursue legal action through the Civil Court. If a tenant refuses to vacate the property, police can enforce an eviction only after a final Civil Court ruling is issued and executed through the court's enforcement procedures.

NRT Challenges the Legal Process

Hersh Qadir, head of NRT's bureau in Erbil, told Channel8 that the case did not follow the standard legal procedures.

He said the bureau had received no prior notification from either the court or the police about the case or any eviction order. He also said the channel's lawyer visited the courthouse but was denied access to the case file by the judge.

Qadir added that NRT had already paid the rent for May to the property owner.

He also noted that NRT's bureaus in Erbil and the Badinan region have remained closed since February under what he described as a political party decision, with journalists and staff prevented from carrying out their work.