The Situation of Journalism in the Kurdistan Region

Baran Ghafar Ahmed

As is known, journalism is one of the important sectors in every society in the world, where we can express freedom of speech, different opinions, and reveal realities.

According to reports from international organizations, in recent years in the Kurdistan Region many journalists have been arrested, assassinated, threatened, or prevented from reporting events and exposing shortcomings.

This deteriorated situation of journalism in the Kurdistan Region is caused by the two ruling parties, the KDP and PUK, who resort to imprisonment, torture, and assassination of journalists who speak against their interests, which shows the poor level of their governance to the people.

Assassinating, imprisoning, and fabricating numerous false legal cases against journalists to stop them from carrying out their work has become a clear and dangerous pattern in their system of rule. The cases of:

Soran Mama Hama

Kawa Germyani

Qaramān Shawkrī

Sherwan Sherwani

and many others are well-known examples, and most international organizations are already aware of them.

As a political activist, I call on international and global organizations to pay serious attention to this worsening situation of journalism in the Kurdistan Region, and to demand freedom for the imprisoned journalists.