Annual record for press freedom violations in the Kurdistan Region

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Over 300 violations were committed against journalists and media outlets in the Kurdistan Region over the past year, a local media watchdog announced on Sunday.

Three hundred and fifty three violations were committed against 260 journalists and media outlets, Metro Center for Journalists Right and Advocacy said in its 2021 annual report.

The violations, reported by the center, include 81 cases of assaults and beatings, 25 arrests without warrants, 13 cases of threatening journalists and shutting down two media offices.

Metro Center also noted 25 cases of confiscating journalism equipment and gear, as well as one case of shooting a journalist.

The Kurdistan Region has faced harsh criticism for its treatment of journalists over the past year as it perused “numerous cases” against journalists in the last year.

In November, an Erbil court handed jail sentences to four Duhok detainees who were among dozens arrested during anti-government protests in 2020. Multiple cases have worked their way through the courts in connection with the protests. The first group to be put on trial - Sherwan Sherwani, Shvan Saeed, Ayaz Karam, Hariwan Issa, and Guhdar Zebari - were found guilty of endangering national security and sentenced to six years in jail. Several others were released earlier this year on time served.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) barred two prominent media outlets from covering a governmental press conference on Tuesday, raising concerns of violations of press rights. 

In late December, the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a report on the status of freedom of expression, raising human rights concerns while noting the “concrete steps” that have been taken by the Kurdish authorities "toward the protection of the right to freedom of expression." 

“There are always improvements to be made, and the KRG is committed to making improvements where they are needed. To take this work forward, KRG has invited the OHCHR, UNAMI and international organizations to support the KRG in improving institutional processes in Kurdistan. And the KRG has been holding consultations with advocacy groups to address concerns regarding media freedoms and rights,” KRG’s coordinator for international advocacy Dindar Zebari said in response to the report. 

Kurdistan Journalists’ Syndicate (KJS) on Thursday said the Region in 2021 reported 79 cases of violations, including insults, attacks and beating, committed against 187 journalists and media outlets.