PUK Military Colonel Brutally Attack Journalist Warya Abdulkhaliq

PUK Military Official’s Guards Brutally Attack Journalist Warya Abdulkhaliq, Highlighting Dangerous Climate for Press in Kurdistan

Chamchamal District, Kurdistan Region — In a shocking incident underscoring the perilous conditions journalists face in Iraqi Kurdistan, Warya Abdulkhaliq, a prominent journalist in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), was savagely assaulted by guards of Colonel Tahsin Taha, a high-ranking official of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The attack occurred in Qashqay village in the Qadir Karami district, leaving Abdulkhaliq seriously injured.

Following the attack, Abdulkhaliq bravely filed a complaint, leading to the arrest of two of Taha’s bodyguards. However, the colonel himself remains untouched by the justice system—his rank and connections apparently shielding him from accountability. Abdulkhaliq, who demands Taha’s arrest, has exposed the limits of judicial power in the region, where courts are allegedly unable or unwilling to hold military elites to account.

The assault on Abdulkhaliq is a chilling reminder of the dangers journalists endure simply for doing their jobs. Fear pervades Kurdistan’s media landscape, with many reporters facing threats, intimidation, and violent attacks that go unpunished. Dozens of cases remain buried, as reporters are forced to choose between their lives and the truth. This brutal incident highlights an urgent need for reforms to protect freedom of the press and ensure that no official stands above the law.

Wrya is a reporter working at Bwar media in Kurdistan region of Iraq