ERBIL, Kurdistan Region —Lawyers of detained journalists and activists in Duhok sent a letter to the judicial council on Thursday, calling for an appeal to their clients’ cases, as they gathered in front of the judiciary.
“We told them this case has a large role in the international, regional and local level,” lawyer Ramazan Artisi told reporters in a press conference in front of the judiciary on Thursday. “The case has become large and we hope to see good results from this case.”
Artisi said the lawyers had handed the council a five-page letter.
"We haven’t asked them to issue an amnesty because we are asking them to remove Article 156 over the cases.” Artisi said.
Article 156 of the Iraqi penal code says any willful act intending to violate the independence of the country or its unity or the security of its territory” is punishable by imprisonment.
“This is another chance for us, another chance for the judicial council to do a more extensive appeal,” Artisi said, adding a “legal, better and more thorough” look into the journalists’ and activists’ cases was needed.
“We visited the General Directorate of Asayish (Kurdish security forces) but they didn’t let us see those who were detained,” lawyer Mohammed Abdullah said. “We don’t know how their situation is because they don’t let us or the families visit them.”
In February, five journalists and activists – Sherwan Sherwani, Shvan Saeed, Ayaz Karam, Hariwan Issa, and Guhdar Zebari – were put on trial for “endangering the national security of the Kurdistan Region.”
They were found guilty and sentenced to six years in jail , prompting outcry from media watchdogs and human rights groups.
The men were arrested in Duhok last year during anti-government protests over unpaid government wages.
An appeal court upheld the ruling in early May, saying the men had intended to “target sensitive areas and establishments in the Kurdistan Region.” The decision can be appealed by the defendants.
“They had also contacted the American consulate and German consulate and took money from them,” the appeal court’s ruling said.
The ruling drew condemnation from several diplomatic missions in the Region, including from the US, France and Germany.
Twenty-nine members of the Kurdistan Region's parliament requested the court cancel its decision, citing several deficiencies in court procedures and noting that foreign consulates meet with hundreds of activists and officials, including the security forces. Germany and the US are working with the government on an ambitious Peshmerga reform program.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani received US Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood. In their meeting, Barzani told Hood that the trial of the Duhok activists and journalists was a legal matter and emphasized his government’s respect for diplomatic missions in the Kurdistan Region.
