CPJ slams Erbil ruling against journalists, activists

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has slammed the Erbil appellate court’s decision to uphold prison sentences for five journalists and activists from Duhok.

“The decision by the Court of Appeals to uphold the six-year jail sentences of journalists Sherwan Amin Sherwani and Guhdar Zebari shows the Kurdistan Regional Government's lack [sic] of disregard not only for press freedom, but also for due process,” Ignacio Miguel Delgado, MENA representative of the CPJ told Rudaw English via email on Monday. 

“They have been unfairly convicted on flimsy and circumstantial evidence. The narrative has shifted from spying for the United States to working for the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) without clearly substantiating either claim,” Delgado added.

The CPJ statement also warned of the worsening condition of press freedom in the Kurdistan Region.

“The steep deterioration of press freedom in Iraqi Kurdistan is now undeniable. Commitments to respecting press freedom mean nothing without putting them into practice. Releasing Sherwani and Zebari immediately and dropping the charges against them would demonstrate that commitment more firmly than any press release,” the CPJ said.

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 each to six years in jail, prompting outcry from media watchdogs and human rights groups, as well as diplomatic representatives in the Region.

Erbil’s appellate court on Sunday upheld the original ruling after several appeals. 

The appellate court’s decision has also been criticized by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and diplomatic missions.

“Yesterday’s decision by the Kurdistan Region’s Cassation Court regrettably confirms the urgent need for judicial and institutional reform in the KRI to prevent such miscarriages of justice in future,” read a tweet from UNAMI on Monday.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has responded to the backlash.

“The human rights standards to which KRG clings remain unparalleled. Courts have legal sanctity, & the gov is committed to not interfere with it. We call on local & foreign entities to respect the impartiality of the courts,” Dindar Zebari, the KRG Coordinator for International Advocacy tweeted, referring to the Kurdistan Region as a “regional beacon for democracy.”