ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Forty-nine violations were committed against journalists in the Kurdistan Region in the first four months of this year, a media watchdog said on World Press Freedom day on Monday.
“This year, and especially on Kurdish Journalism Day, we have heard positive messages on the importance of freedom of journalism and implementing journalist rights from the three presidencies of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), but the importance is implementing those promises. We as the Metro Center are waiting for these promises to be implemented,” Diyari Mohammed, the manager of Metro Center for Journalists Rights and Advocacy said in a press conference.
According to data provided by the group, 49 violations were committed against 36 journalists and media outlets between January 1 and April 30.
Violations include 23 cases of journalists being prevented from covering certain events, 15 attacks, insults and threats, 6 seizures of equipment and 5 cases of journalists being detained without a court order.
The Kurdistan Region has come under fire in recent months for the arrest and imprisonment of journalists, with the Committee to Protect Journalist saying in March that the Kurdistan Region has “dropped the pretense of caring about press freedom.”
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Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in March said his cabinet “defends and supports” press freedom in the Kurdistan Region in a meeting with the head of Kurdistan Journalists’ Syndicate. He told them that his cabinet has created a suitable atmosphere for press freedom, so that journalists “can play their effective role in society,” according to a statement from Barzani’s office.
According to the Metro Center, violations have decreased by 50 percent compared to the first four months of 2020, “but we also know that the violations rise during political conflict and street protests. Now that the political parties and coalitions will enter the elections we are afraid that there will be violence against the media.”
A journalist working for a Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) affiliated news outlet was released by authorities in Sulaimani city on Tuesday after a number of press freedom watchdogs called for his immediate release.
The group also called on the appeal court to release of journalists detained in Erbil and urged government officials to “accept criticism.”
In its annual report published in April. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the lives of journalists in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are at “risk” due to protest coverage and corruption investigations.
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