The two groups run separate prisons and detention centers where human rights violations occur. The Kurdish administration of northern Iraq has been accused of arbitrary arrest and detention, torture of detainees, summary trials, and extrajudicial executions of prisoners of war, political opponents, and demonstrators. Iraqi laws passed prior to 1991 remain in effect in Kurdistan, save for those judged to be against Kurdish interests. Efforts by the PKK to maintain control of territorial bases have led to political killings, terrorist actions, and the deaths of local residents. In turn, Turkish operations against the PKK in Iraqi Kurdistan resulted in civilian deaths and destruction of residences.
Observers report a generally open climate for dialogue on political issues.
Many independent newspapers as well as opposition radio and television broadcasts are widely available. The absence of a governing authority has allowed free expression to flourish, though many journalists have ties to political organizations. Numerous political parties, social organizations, and cultural associations operate freely, and their members may assemble without harassment. Amnesty International and other human rights groups reported that 1,468 Kurdish families were scheduled to be expelled from the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk between April and June 1998 as part of a forcible campaign of Arabization of particular northern areas. Regional Kurdish authorities report that some 400 families were actually relocated, creating an influx of refugees into the Sulemaniyah province of Iraqi Kurdistan.