BARZANI, MASROUR

(1969- )

Masrour Barzani is the eldest son ofMassoud Barzani, the president of theKurdistan Regional Government(KRG) andKurdistan Democratic Party(KDP).

He completed his high school education inIranand then spent time inGreat Britainperfecting his English.Subsequently, he earned a B.A. degree in International Studies from the American University in Washington, D.C., where he was known for his studiousness. In 1998, he returned to Kurdistan and was elected by the KDP's 12th Congress to its Central Committee and Politburo.

Currently, he is the overall chief of KRG intelligence. As such, Masrour Barzani is the director both ofParastin(Protection), the KDP's intelligence arm, andAsayesh(Security), the KRG's coun-terterrorism and internal security directorate, which has executive power. Despite his success in protecting the KRG's security, there have been accusations ofhuman rightsviolations. For example, under Barzani's leadership,ParastinkidnappedKamal Said Qadir, an Austrian citizen of Kurdish descent, in 2005 and allegedly tortured him for accusing theBarzanifamily of corruption. Qadir was released only after an international campaign on his behalf. Barzani has also reportedly sought U.S. citizenship. He is married and has two children. Barzani is fluent in Kurdish, Persian, and English and understands Arabic. Along with his cousin,Nechirvan Idris Bar-zani, Masrour Barzani should be considered a leading candidate for eventual leadership of the KRG.