Journalist Exposes Corruption in Kurdistan’s Environmental Mafia

God knows the truth about what I’m saying!

It has now been a week since the explosive report on illegal refineries was published, shedding light on the environmental mafia operating in the Kurdistan Region. Last Thursday, when the date of publication was announced along with a revealing photo, the brokers and officials involved in the environmental mafia scrambled to cover their tracks. They quickly moved to silence the report, offering bribes in desperation.

“They even tried to bribe me with $300,000 to stop me from publishing the report,” said Choman Hiwa, the journalist who exposed the corruption. “But thanks to God’s grace and my mother’s teachings, I refused.” Hiwa revealed that the illegal refinery owners have suffered losses exceeding $100 million as a result of the report. “My life is no more important than that of the patient currently struggling for breath in Nanakali Hospital.”

Kurdfile: Journalists in the Kurdistan Region face a harsh reality: they can easily amass wealth if they choose to align themselves with the authorities and the powerful mafia. However, Choman Hiwa, an honest journalist aligned with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), continues to bravely expose dangerous cases despite the risks. Interestingly, Hiwa frequently invokes God and the leader of his party who is Masud Barzani as his only protectors against potential abduction by the mafia, highlighting the perilous environment in which he operates.