Solitary Confinement and Silence: The Ordeal of Journalist Bashdar Bazyani

Sulaymaniyah, Iraq – Journalist Bashdar Bazyani remains locked in solitary confinement, with no updates on his health or well-being. After his arrest by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) security forces, he has been completely cut off from his family and lawyer, raising serious concerns of possible torture or mistreatment. Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the PUK leadership, the Syndicate of Journalists, and the Metro Center for Journalists’ Rights continue to remain silent.

Bazyani, along with Dana Salih, Sardasht HamaSalih, and Nabaz Shekhani, was arrested on February 28, 2025, following an investigative report on Sulaymaniyah billionaire Faruk Mustafa. The report exposed that Mustafa’s factory burns tires to generate energy, a claim supported by evidence but dismissed by authorities as “false information.” While the other three journalists have since been released, Bazyani remains behind bars, held in a single-bed prison cell with no external contact.

According to Harki, a journalist who was set to join Media21 as its English section editor, secret sources inside the Asayish confirm that Bazyani is being punished in solitary confinement, with authorities refusing to disclose his condition. His family has received no information about his health, increasing fears of torture and inhumane treatment.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned Bazyani’s imprisonment, calling on Kurdish authorities to release him immediately. CPJ initially reported that the journalists were charged under Penal Code 433, a draconian law that criminalizes defamation and provides authorities with unchecked power to silence journalists.

The ongoing silence from KRG institutions is a dangerous sign. If the authorities believe they are justified in arresting Bazyani, why is he being kept in isolation instead of receiving a fair trial? If the accusations against him were legitimate, why was he denied due process? The case of Bashdar Bazyani is another dark chapter in the collapse of press freedom in Kurdistan—where journalists are jailed for exposing the truth, and the powerful continue to operate without accountability.

CPJ REPORT: Click here