PUK Escalates Crackdown: Two More Journalists Arrested

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The Asayish forces of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have arrested two more journalists, Sardasht Hama Salih and Nabaz Saeed (Nabaz Shekhani), in a midnight raid without a warrant.on 01/03/2025.

Sardasht Hama Salih, founder of D4 (Dasalaty4.com)—a platform advocating for the media as the “fourth power” was dragged from his bed at 1:00 AM.

Nabaz Saeed, an employee of Media 21, was also taken, just two weeks after the outlet’s launch, signaling a targeted attack on emerging independent journalism.
With four Media 21 and 4D journalists now in custody, the message is clear: the PUK is waging war on press freedom, silencing investigations into corruption by both the KDP and PUK.

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region remain among the most dangerous places in the world for journalists and activists. Press freedom is systematically crushed through arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and violent crackdowns by ruling parties.

The Kurdistan Region’s ruling elites, KDP and PUK, continue to weaponize security forces against media outlets exposing corruption, with journalists facing beatings, imprisonment, and even assassinations. Despite constitutional guarantees of free expression, journalists are treated as enemies of the state for simply doing their job.

As global organizations condemn these violations, the international community must act beyond statements pressuring Kurdish and Iraqi authorities to respect human rights and protect journalists from political persecution.

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Diyar Harki: Diyar Harki is an independent investigative journalist and human rights advocate. As a member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), he focuses on exposing corruption and human rights abuses in Kurdistan and Iraq. He voluntarily contributes to Kurdfile Media.

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