Journalist Bashdar Baziani Arrested Without Legal Justification in Sulaimani

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5 Feb 2025 – Journalist and Kurdfile Media collaborator Bashdar Baziani was arrested by armed forces in Sulaimani without prior notice or a judge’s decision. His hands and feet were chained, highlighting the harsh treatment of journalists in the Kurdistan Region.

Under Iraqi law, journalists cannot be arrested for their reporting. However, in practice, this legal protection remains largely symbolic, as journalists continue to face intimidation, threats, and arbitrary detention for exposing corruption and wrongdoing.

Baziani and his investigative team have been working on several corruption cases, and he has previously reported receiving direct and indirect threats. Following his arrest, concerns have grown for his safety, and any harm that comes to him will be attributed to the authorities responsible for his detention.

This latest crackdown on press freedom once again underscores the dangers faced by journalists in the Kurdistan Region, where independent reporting is often met with repression rather than protection.