Iraqi PM discusses press freedom with Rudaw CEO
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Thursday received Rudaw Media Network CEO Ako Mohammed in Baghdad, discussing obstacles that media outlets face and press freedom in the country, as well as the Iraqi government’s decision to treat Halabja as a province.
Rudaw’s Mohammed highlighted the media network’s work, progress and impact on a local and international level. He also talked about issues at times made by the Iraqi security forces that Rudaw and other media outlets are presented with.
Prime Minister Sudani expressed his appreciation for Rudaw’s achievements, telling his guest that “the most important objective and achievement for the people of Iraq after the 2003 [invasion of the country] is freedom, and we should not compromise on freedom.”
He admitted that the media is not in a good state when it comes to political interference but expressed his readiness to “help media play the role of an observer.”
“We are very serious in the fight against corruption and we need the support of professional media in this regard,” he noted.
Rudaw is a media company based in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan's capital. It has a multilingual news website focusing primarily on Kurds and Kurdistan as well as Iraq proper. It has fast become a leading source of news on Kurds with bureaus across the world, including Washington, New York, Europe and Russia. Rudaw also opened an office in China earlier this week.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said late last month it had recorded the highest death tolls of journalists in Iraq and Syria where a total of about 600 journalists have been killed in the last two decades.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in November that Iraq and Syria remained among top five countries where killers of journalists continue to be unpunished.
Journalists across Iraq have been targeted since the outbreak of Iraq’s protest movement in October 2019 across central and southern parts of the country. Scores have been arrested, kidnapped and shot dead since the demonstrations began. Militia groups have been accused of threatening and killing journalists.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and both ruling parties, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), have been criticised in recent years for violating press freedom.
Halabja
The Kurdistan Council of Ministers issued a decision in March 2014 to turn Halabja into a province, making it the fourth province in the Region. Four years later, the Iraqi interior ministry recognized it as a province.
Sudani on Tuesday told Rudaw during a press conference that his cabinet is “serious” in recognizing the Kurdish city as a province.
Prime Minister told Rudaw CEO that when he was human rights minister, he visited Halabja.
“I still follow the practical steps taken to turn it into a province. Halabja is a very obvious example of Saddam Hussein’s atrocity against Kurds and all Iraqis,” added the premiere.
Sudani also said that Halabja is “special” for all Iraqis.
Halabja used to be a city within Sulaimani province. Some of its residents have complained that not much has changed since its status has been changed to province.
The province has a population of 120,000 and it consists of four subdistricts: Khurmal, Biyara, Bamo and Sirwan. It is a tourism destination.