Sherwan's predicament is part of what has been described by Amnesty International as human rights abuse in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. According to investigations by Amnesty International, ‘In mid-August 2020, widespread protests erupted in the KR-I, mainly in Sulaimaniyah, Duhok and Erbil, demanding an end to corruption, better public services, and the payment of overdue salaries of government employees'.