Shaswar Abdulwahid
Shaswar Abdulwahid is an Iraqi Kurdish businessman and politician, leader of New Generation Movement and the founder of NRT media.
Business
Shaswar founded the Nalia Media Corporation conglomerate, one of the biggest media organisations in Kurdish Iraq, which operates NRT News, several television stations, "real estate" and a theme park.Kurdistan referendum 2017
Abdulwahid entered politics in 2017, during the Kurdistan Region's independence referendum. Shaswar launched a "No for now". He called the referendum as "an excuse by Kurdish leaders to remain in power".New Generation Movement
Abdulwahid was elected president of the newly established New Generation Movement at its first congress. New Generation secured eight seats in the 2018 Kurdistan parliamentary election, and won four seats in the 2018 Iraqi parliamentary election. Abdulwahid said that "there should be an opposition in parliament", and did not plan to join a governing coalition.Arrests
Abdulwahid appeared in court in Sulaimani on 3 March 2019 and arrested after being summoned on charges related to Articles 229 and 434 of the Iraqi penal code. Abdulwahid had been previously arrested in 2017.On 12 August 2025, Iraqi News Agency reported that Abdulwahid had been arrested in Sulaymaniyah. According to his sister, Sarwa, “a group affiliated with Bafel Talabani and Qubad Talabani, and in coordination with Masrur Barzani, kidnapped Abdulwahid without announcing his place of detention”.