Report on situation of freedom of
journalism in Kurdistan Region in 2022
· Failure of Law Enforcement to Fulfill Duties
· Infringement of Press Rights by Security Forces
431 violations made against 301 journalists and media outlets
Prevention of Coverage: 195
Confiscation of Journalistic Tools: 68
Beatings, Threats and Humiliations: 46
Detention without Lawful warrants from judges:
64
Arrest and detention by judicial order:4
Beating and injuring journalists:26
Raids and Forced Shutdown of Media Outlets: 1
Attacking media offices with missiles: 2
Journalists' homes raided:
3
Electronic Attacks on Media Broadcast: 6
Filling in pledge letters: 16
security
forces’ ways of dealing with media teams when covering events have not been
changed in 2022. They made difficult for journalists to cover news which were
worthwhile in journalistic views.
Arrest
without court warrant, beating, attacking media teams, putting them inside
police and security jails, threatening them, discrimination and withholding information
and even there were incidents when journalists were arrested before going to
cover the events.
Kurdistan
Region media teams inside parks and terminals, before universities, restaurants
and hospitals, before banks and companies, in stadiums, before houses and
offices of journalists, in popular markets and teashops, before schools, before
autopsy were either humiliated or arrested or their tools were seized. In the
best cases they were obliged to erase photos of their cameras and were forced
to leave the areas near the incidents.
Journalists
were discriminated or banned or forced to erase photos inside their camera
while they were covering events and preparing reports on bombardments, matches,
gatherings and demonstrations of teachers, of students, of retirees and of
residents of the districts with no public services. And even when covering
"conferences of the committee to track moon appearance”.
Security
forces, anti-terrorism forces, companies’ guards, unidentified forces and even
ordinary people attacked media teams or made carrying out of their job
difficult. The violations are included in our report.
In the 2022
alike the previous years the journalism laws were not taken into consideration
during the issues between government and media outlets and citizens and media
outlets. Instead of journalism laws, resorting to decisions and guidance of
Culture Ministry and the sections of Iraqi penal law were sought.
The
anti-democracy and human rights principles’ behavior made the international
organizations who work for freedom of expression and journalism criticize the
performance of political rule of Kurdistan Region calling on them to stop
violations against the right of freedom of expression.
What do the
international reports say?
According to
the Journalists Without Borders’ Organization which has its headquarters in
France, Iraq is designated as the 172nd worst country out of 182 other
countries for bad environment for journalism. Thus, it is the tenth worst
country of the world for journalism work and freedom. Iraq retreated by 9
points in comparison to 2021.
Journalists
Without Borders stated that although no journalist was killed since the
beginning of this year in Iraq, but it is mentioned in the report that five
journalists were imprisoned in Kurdistan Region who are journalists from
Badinan area and they are still in prison.
It was
mentioned in the report of Journalists Without Borders that journalists face
threats from different sides whether they are terrorism, political instability
and demonstrations. And this is because of weakness of the state and its
institutions which are not able to play their role for protecting journalists.
The United
Nations set the 2nd of November of each year in its (68th) round of 2013 as the
day for prevention of escaping punishment for those crimes committed against
journalists as per the 68/163 resolution.
The
resolution calls on the members of UN to take necessary measures to prevent escaping
punishment.
The UN’s
resolution condemns those violations and violent acts against journalists and
employees of media agencies. It also calls on member countries to exert all
efforts and capabilities to prevent violence against journalists and to end the
appearance of escaping punishment and to pave the way for holding those who
commit crimes against journalists countable and bringing them to justice.
The three
sentenced journalists inside prison
The
Committee for Protecting Journalists CPJ in its 2022 report on the number of
imprisoned journalists and in that part of the report which is related to
imprisonment in Iraq says that "All of the three arrested journalists in Iraq
were imprisoned in Iraqi Kurdistan”.
CPJ says, in
its most recent report, on the number of imprisoned journalists all over the
world which was published on 14th January 2022 that the year of 2022 was full
of conflicts and suppression and the authoritarian leaders have doubled
their crimes against independent journalism and were more brutal in suppressing
and cracking down on dissident voices and weakening of freedom of journalism.
The annual census of private prisoners of the Committee for Protecting Journalists
has identified that 363 journalists have their freedom deprived. And that is a
new global high record which exceeded last year’s record by 20% which is a dire
gesture on worsening of the state of media work.
What did the Human Rights Watch say?
At the beginning of December 2022, Human Rights Watch Organization in
its annual report on Iraq and Kurdistan Region spoke about that "Kurdistan
Regional Government (KRG) delivered a message silently to all journalists and
activists through trying journalists and activists saying that anyone who
criticizes will have the same destiny”.
Part of the
report is on the situation of journalists and activists’ rights in Kurdistan
Region in which it says "KRG has pushed many dossiers forward in the courts
against a number of activists and journalists for their writings”.
It also
referred to the criminal court of Erbil province which sentenced three
journalists and activists to six years imprisonment each, despite the fact that
the process of their trial was not void of injustices and meddling from
high-ranking officials. The court has denied that the arrested talked under
duress.
Balqis Wali,
a researcher at crisis department of Human Rights Watch referred to that "It is
of concern that Kurdistan Region rulers bring people to trial over expression
while it itself should have protected freedom of expression”.
It also says
that the region’s rulers delivered a message silently through these trials to
all journalists and activists saying anyone who criticizes will have the same
destiny.
At the end
of August 2022, Human Rights Watch published a report on 6th August
demonstrations saying that arrest of activists, journalists and other figures
is an oppression against people of the region.
The Human
Rights Watch report also says: security forces of Iraqi Kurdistan Region have
arrested tens of journalists, political activists and political figures for no
reason other than the demonstrations of 6th of August 2022.
Adam Google,
deputy head of Human Rights Watch in the middle east says about that: using
violence and arresting activists, journalists, political figures and citizens
is oppression against people of Kurdistan Region.
It also
rebukes KRG and said: for solving anger of people, the best way is to respect
their rights, freedom, allowing freedom of expression, staging peaceful
demonstration and letting them to deliver their demands for achieving their
rights.
He also stressed
saying that "in the recent years, independent media institutions and
independent journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan Region faced violence and were
targeted”.
Adding that:
the authorities in Iraq and Kurdistan Region have used legal articles of, almost,
defamation against critics, journalists, political activists and the dissident
voices.
Bombardment and drone attacks
The missile attacks on Erbil and areas around it, drone attacks and
bombardment by Iran and Turkey against different areas of Kurdistan Region are
new threats on lives of journalists and preventing them from work and arresting
of media teams and taking their tools.
The most outstanding was on 28th September, during bombardment by
Iranian revolutionary guards on (Altun Kopri) area in which Kurdistan24
reporter, Soran Kamaran, was severely wounded and his health is unstable until
writing this report.
According to Metro Center report which we had referred to them in the
violations’ section, during those incidents, media teams were disallowed or
their tools were seized.
They are not only disallowed in the location of the bombardments and
detonations but rather in different events the security forces have stood
before hospitals and made for them difficult to collect information on victims.
Media teams were attacked during live and not live broadcasts including
beating, swearing at them forcing them to stop broadcasting.
If the security forces bring excuses for that the locations of
explosions and bombardments are not safe, but why do they stand before hospital
gates not allowing them to work and use violence against them?
According to clause fourth of seventh article of journalism law in
Kurdistan, "journalists have the right to attend conferences and public events”
and it says in the second clause of the second article of the same law that
"journalists are allowed to collect information from different sources which
are of interest to the people and are related to public good”.
Shortening of sentence period of journalists and activists of Badinan
area
Metro Center has a clear stance since the beginning of issuance of
verdict by Erbil court against activists and journalists of Badinan which was
against the will and demand of many human rights organizations and observers of
democratic process in Kurdistan and it called for: the region’s president
should use his powers to issue general amnesty for them.
On Tuesday, 16/02/2021, Erbil court sentenced five remanded of Dohuk
province to six years imprisonment for "disrupting national security of
Kurdistan”. Those remanded were: Sherwan Sherwani, Mulla Shivan Saeed Barozhki,
Ayas Karam Parchi, Hariwan Issa and Guhdar Muhammad Amin.
During our meeting with Kurdistan Region president, we stressed that "if
the final decision of appeal court would be the same as criminal court of Erbil,
so, he might use his powers to issue an amnesty for them”.
In February 2022, by (Nechirvan Barzani)’s decree, Kurdistan Region
President, the sentence period has been decreased by 60% for Badinan jailed.
Metro Center welcomed the decree of Kurdistan Region president, though
our wish was to issue a general amnesty for them.
Umed Baroshki, was one of those who were sentenced, after spending one
year and seven months in prison, he was freed and Badal Barwari was freed on
20th of October after end of serving his sentence.
In the middle of January, each of (Yusif Sharif Ibrahim, born 2001,
Mahmoud Naji Sadiq, born 1996, Govan Tariq Jibraeel, born 1996, Amjad Yusif
Mustafa, born 1989, Nechirvan Badi Haji, born 1993) were freed.
Electronic attacks
The advance of IT means and the influence of social media have created
an environment which led the citizens not to be restricted by official
information, therefore the corrupts in undemocratic and oppressive political
system uses electronic attacks as a weapon against free media.
On 18th July, Diplomatic Media Institution stated that "it was under a
big and dangerous electronic attack on its official page of Diplomatic Magazine
on Facebook and many inappropriate posts were put on it to erase and eliminate the
page. Besides, all the posts including pictures, graphics, texts and videos
were erased in 2022”.
This is not the first time when sites and media pages on internet or TVs
were subject to electronic attacks and at all the time the attacks coincided with
publishing of an important subject on corruption.
During the last year, there was an apparent electronic attack against
some media institutions like the Diplomatic which is a media institution who
published information through investigative reports on events in Kurdistan
Region. And most part of the reports were on unveiling corruption in
government, political parties and of influential officials of the region.
In the middle of May, Metro Center alongside some media institutions
which received damage from those attacks including (Bwar News, DirawMedia, Dang
Radio, Hawlati, Diplomatic, Standard Institution and Paragraph), has issued a
statement against these attacks in collaboration with journalists like Kamal
Chomani, Dilshad Anwar, Sulaymaniyah branch of the syndicate, Karokh Rasool and
Farman Rashad.
We stressed the importance of building media collaboration on Kurdistan
level and abroad among the institutions and trying to solving of electronic
attacks in groups’ format and directly by Facebook company and related
institutions. In addition to informing consulates and international
representations, representative of UN and international organizations on media
situation and pressure on media institutions.
The aim of those attacks and their alike is to keep information on
corruption undetected and hidden from public opinion.
In order to dislocate this weapon and to denounce those who use them,
the free journalists should be determined on publishing their reports and
unveiling corruption files and the local and foreign organizations should
cooperate with independent electronic sites to upgrade technical part and
digital security of their sites.
The case of media team of Bwar
Detention of journalists for long-time and several hours without court
warrant are most of those detention and imprisonment that Metro Center has
recorded.
Arrest of two journalists (Sartip Waisi Qashqayee), editor-in-chief of
Bwar media institution and (Ibrahim Ali), managing-editor of the institution,
from (9th to 15th October) in Sulaymaniyah Security Department, raised the
question among media field that; why do we want journalism law?
The joint-team of Mtero Center and Journalists’ Syndicate met the two
arrested journalists after one day of their arrest in Sulaymaniyah security
department, but they did not allow to be bailed.
We understood in that meeting that the two journalists were arrested by
anti-terrorism forces and spent one night in their custody then transferred to
security forces prison and the plan was to lengthen their remand in custody.
The two journalists have not received court papers to stand before it
which is in the jurisdiction of police, but the applicant, the anti-terrorism
forces, have arrested them.
In that process, personal mobile phones and computers of those two
journalists were seized in order to check them and detect the sources of their
information. This is at a time that according to journalism law "journalists
have the right to withheld the sources of their information unless there is a
court warrant for it”.
Taking over the communications means is a new technic for unveiling
information sources of journalists.
These two journalists are sued over misuse of electronic tools and a
dossier was opened for them for that reason not according to journalism law in
order to keep them in prison.
The cases related to publications has its own way for doing so. So, a
special law was issued for it from 2007, but despite existence of the law,
Journalists are being investigated with according to Iraqi penal laws and other
laws in courts in Kurdistan Region.
Demonstrations, blockading of information
In the cities of Kurdistan Region, the security forces have not only
besieged the areas where demonstrations were held in, but they also have raided
on houses of some journalists and activists before the start of demonstrations.
There is no excuse for arresting journalists except that the security
forces are determined to disgrace parliament laws and violate right of
expression and freedom to cover the demonstrations before they start.
Hitherto, no orders of a judge were showed for the process of arrest and
raid on journalists’ and activists’ houses.
What is the password of your mobile phone?
When a journalist is arrested, some officers ask for password of his/her
mobile phone password as an easy technic to enter into source of information or
the content they recorded.
Those who were detained by security forces and taken to their bases tell
stories about taking their mobile phones and disclosure of their passwords.
Some security forces’ bases in Kurdistan Region cities are eying
journalists work in an adversary way and the reason behind this is that media
teams are covering and reporting violations of human rights in the
demonstrations and outside the demonstrations.
The most outstanding examples of those violations that are reported by
media outlets against security forces: like that which was recorded during
teachers’ demonstration in Erbil where two security guards beat and kick an
elderly teacher and those in university and institutes’ demonstration in
Sulaymaniyah "some members of security forces arrest a student and beat him and
a man in no uniform kick the student on his head”.
Disclosure of violations and disgracing inhumane treatment of teachers,
students and other classes in the demonstrations made the security forces to
regard camera zoom and mobile phones as dangerous and it is why they take
measures to ban them and seize the materials of media teams. This was referred
to as the most outstanding violation in 2022 in violations’ report.
Forced signing of promissory note by detainees
During the demonstrations in the cities of Kurdistan Region, the
security forces launched an arrest campaign against journalists and activists.
They were asked during investigations to fill and sign promissory notes as
condition for their release.
Some of the forms of investigations with journalists were meant to
frighten them and taking them away from delivering information and unveiling
corruption and violation of human rights.
One form of the investigations is receiving promise from those
journalists and human rights activists who are in the demonstrations or those
who want to go to the areas the Turkish and Iranians have bombarded.
"Promissory notes” that journalists have signed entail that he/she will
not repeat doing what he/she has been arrested for. Examples of those acts are
filming demonstrations and violations of human rights. Then the journalist is
freed for signing that promissory note.
Metro Center has shed light on this in different occasions regarding the
act as illegal and called for halt of the campaign of frightening the
journalists through filling illegal promissory notes.
Taking promissory notes aimed at changing opinions of writers, political
activists and defenders of human rights is not in line with laws implemented in
Kurdistan Region and is against principles of democracy and human rights and
should be stopped.
A corruption case is proved because of unjust trial
Rayal magazine which had the martyr Kawa Garmyani as its editor-in-chief
in 2012 published a report on a property in Liwa street in the town of Kalar
which was confiscated by a member of leadership committee of Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan (PUK) who filed a lawsuit against the writer of the report, Dilshad
Anwar.
After martyrdom of Kawa Garmyani, Kalar criminal court settled the
dossier of that member of leadership committee by fining him with three million
dinars because the owners of that property did not agree to attend court
session to witness and ask for giving back their confiscated property.
The applicant went further and filed another lawsuit against defamation
and asked for compensation.
On 18th January 2022, the court held a new session in which the owners
of the confiscated property were forced to witness and they attended the court
session.
When the judge made them take the oath, they proved that their property
was occupied by that PUK Leadership Committee member and his brother. The whole
information in Dilshad Anwar’s report is true, but, unfortunately, the judge
closed the dossier.
Metro welcomed the process of proving the truth inside Rayal magazine
report by Kalar court. The truth about the dossier proves that truth would have
unveiled for the public opinion if the dossier had been accurately looked
through.
Who would disarm electronic militias?
The enemies of freedom of journalism do not stop at inflicting physical
harm to journalists but rather they have a reserve of electronic army ready for
attacking journalists’ personality. Who will disarm that army?
In the beginning of July, some of the pages of that mercenary attacked
personality of Kamal Rauf, the concessionaire of SharPress. These attacks were
both a threat and an attack on personality of that journalist in which very
mean words, in social terms, were used against his wife.
This is not the first time in which some renowned writers and
journalists of Kurdistan Region become prey for the net of those pages, the
mercenary of political, tribal and factional power who used defamation campaign
in different occasions and stages. They were off for a period of time, then
they returned with the same way of producing lies, hatred discourse and
defamation.
Attacks and defamation of journalists, writers and human rights
activists through using electronic mercenaries which receives political money
is a danger on social peace.
The party which used its mercenaries on social media to target
journalists became bankrupt and writers, journalists and human rights activists
were more determined on writing critical pieces, civic activities and
identifying corrupts.
Anti-misleading campaign
The appearance of misleading media, untrue news and fake information
affect the new media and become a threat to the profession and freedom of
journalism. The dangers of this appearance are various and led the public less
trust in media believing that they are not told the truth.
Those who mislead are those who became the machine of producing untrue
information have other purpose away from journalism principles and want to
replace true news and information with allegations and misleading.
Metro Center, in the framework of the project (raising awareness against
misinformation in Kurdistan Region), which is supported by (International
Republic Institute) in 2022 has trained 112 journalists and 37 university and
institutes students in Kurdistan Region which is part of the campaign and every
participant is working on his/her workplace for combating this appearance.
Also, 35 spokespersons and media heads of public offices of Kurdistan Region
were trained.
Though, the advance of information technology created an atmosphere in
which the people are no longer slaves of official information, but in the lack
of official and proved information a dangerous appearance emerged in Kurdistan
Region which is the publication of information which lacks a source and is
baseless. At the same time, it made people change from being a receiver to
being a distributor of news and source of information to an extend that
sometimes the personal views become sources of information. And this will not
serve journalists, people and experts as a source of true information to let
them dealing with them and decide through them.
Information is an important condition for a good ruling and the relation
between right to information and democracy cannot be separated. Access to
information and publishing it freely will strengthen democratic system. And on
contrary lack of information paves the way for corruption and misleading and spread
of untrue news, rumors and defamation.
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in order to be part of combating
misleading and fake news it should seriously work for implementing the law of
access to information. And we make sure that giving information is a powerful
and examined weapon against the infamous appearance of electronic militias and
the hatred discourse and fake news.
Barriers on the way of journalists to have access to sources of
information should be removed and all the government information should not be
categorized as confidential. Journalists should easily have access to
information based on the sections of the law of right to have access to
information. We consider this as guarantee to implement the plan of 9th cabinet
of KRG in order to activate the participation of people and medias in the
process of fighting corruption as expanding the sphere of participation of
people, medias and civil society organizations to enhance transparency,
liability will be made through true information and implementing transparency
principle. Without this, people and medias will lose the fight and the public
support for this process will dwindle.
Responsibility of implementation of (the law of right to access
information No. 11 of 2013) is given to the Independent Board of Human Rights
and all the procedures have been completed by that board and sent to Council of
Ministers. Now, the guidance of Council of Ministers is needed to be
generalized according to article 23 of the mentioned law.
Right to information is a condition for a good rule
On 23th June, Metro Center welcomes the decisions of the meeting of the
Kurdistan Region Council of Ministers to support media outlets and activation
of the law of right to have access to information in Kurdistan Region, No. 11
of 2013 and monitors implementation of these two laws.
Kurdistan Region Council of Ministers held a meeting on Wednesday 22nd
of June 2022, chaired by PM Masrur Barzani and in attendance of deputy PM Qubad
Talabani.
According to an official statement of the meeting, PM, in reference to
his meeting with media outlets, urged ministers and government officials to
further cooperate with media outlets and facilitate for them, give more
information and explanation on the works and activities of government to media
outlets and public. This is part of government plan in terms of transparency
and informing public.
Then, deputy PM Qubad Talabani, beside supporting the speech of PM, has
suggested activation of the law of right to access information in Kurdistan
Region, No. 11 of 2013, and this through issuance of instructions to facilitate
for implementation of the law by council of ministers in order to
systematically rearrange giving true information to journalists and people.
Metro Center, since its establishment on 11th of August 2009, monitors
implementation of the law No. 35 of 2007 of journalism law in Kurdistan and the
issuance of law No. 11 of 2013 of the law of right to have access to
information in Kurdistan Region. And calls on government not to make issuance
of instruction an excuse to obstruct its implementation. Lack of instructions should
not cause not implementing it.
We stress on our past attitudes: "right to information is an important
condition and right of information and democracy are not separable. We want
public participation in decision-making and people are not deprived from
important decision-making. And this can be made via true information”.
Metro Center besides welcoming of decisions of Council of Ministers of
KRG in cooperation with media outlets and activation of the law of right to
have access to information in Kurdistan Region, No. 11 of 2013, it monitors implementation
of these two decisions and it will issue its monitoring report to public in
case of non-implementation of them.
According to a report of International Transparency Organization on Iraq
in 2021, the country is 157th worst country out of 180 ones for lack of
transparency and suitable environment for corruption.
NRT and Rudaw are not "dears”?
On 11 January, Dindar Zebari, the coordinator of International Reports
in the KRG, has held a news conference in which many of the Kurdistan Region
media outlets were present except for banning of RudawTV and NRT TV from
attending the news conference.
Zebari’s office had previously issued a call entitled "for dear
journalists” calling on them to be present at news conference of Dr. Dindar
Zebari, coordinator of International Reports of KRG which contains 13 titles of
which one entitled as "Freedom of Journalism and Media”.
In the invitation letter sent to the general group of journalists
entitled "dear journalists” meaning that it includes all medias and journalists,
but for those who arranged the news conference for reverend the coordinator,
NRT TV and Rudaw TV are deprived from that compliment.
But the case is neither a compliment nor that as which media outlet is
favorable? The case is legal and law allowed that media outlets can participate
in the official events like that of coordinator of international reports.
Article 7, fourth of the law "journalists have the right to attend
conferences and public events”.
So, according to laws or that invitation letter which was published by
coordinator of international reports of KRG "To dear journalists”, the
conference should have been open to all and no one should have been
discriminated.
In that news conference, coordinator of international reports
interpreted both laws of information and journalism as he wished while the
texts of both the laws cannot be interpreted.
Women journalists have been oppressed twice
Women journalists proved their capabilities in the fields of written
journalism, presentation and media works. They also try to offer the best.
There are many famous women journalists in various fields and expertise.
Although the criteria for employment and offering opportunities does not
abide by real, professional and fair guidelines. Because of this, a large
number of personnel who cannot advance to a necessary level have become real
barrier on the way of skillful and good ones. Also, existence of factional and
group’s institutions and lack of independent institutions have affected women
journalists. There are many conditions and obstacles which cause women
journalists not to advance in their works.
The rate of women participation in Kurdish journalism is still small and
does not reflect the real image in this profession. Women representation is
only reflected in writing and all the institutions understand this, but they
ignore and cover it.
From those issues and barriers which women journalists face are the
issue of sexual harassment and violence. Though, many women journalists stand
against them. The issues include swearing at them and humiliating them either
face-to-face or via social media platforms.
Most of the issues of sexual violence and harassment are not disclosed
and not being reported to courts and this is because of patriarchal society.
There is no article in Iraqi penal law on punishing those who sexually attack
women at work. There is only one legal article which is in place; the article
402 which refers to the punishment of offender with 75 Iraqi dinars as
compensation then releasing him. And this is the defect of the laws.
Despite all these, women journalists stand against a type of assault
which is related to social media like Facebook and defaming them through fabricated
news about them or creating fake pages and posting fake pictures and video
footages about them.
Among those issues which face women journalists is the enforced job
contracts which is mostly because of unawareness of journalists about them.
This makes mostly women to work in the institutions without contracts and for a
lower wage. So, they are obliged to work for different institution at the same
time. Also, some of the situations related to women is not taken into
consideration like maternity leave, the period and some other situations
related to the process of education and raising children.
Shina Faeq, a threatened journalist
Shina Faeq, editor-in-chief of Rozhnews agency which belongs to Chatir
(Umbrella) company for publishing. They have their main office in Sulaymaniyah.
They publish their materials in Kurdish and Arabic and has official license
from Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate.
Shina is a famous journalist that faces obstacles because of her
profession. In the beginning of February, she received many telephone calls via
telegram and WhatsApp and some of the callers’ numbers are not known and some
others were from Kurdistan Region.
Some of the callers introduced themselves as members of security
department and asked her to work for them. Shina understands the matter soon
and does not answer the calls anymore.
Late at night on 12th of February receives an image via WhatsApp which
is about a dead body of a woman and a link telling her that the dead body of
the woman is in somewhere.
After Shina asks the caller as who is he? And where is that place? He
pretends to be afraid and does not say his name, but he continuously asks her
to open the link in which there is the address and she can go to the incident’s
place.
The caller continuously removes his messages which makes Shina suspect
him and she does not open the link and she calls him but receives no answer.
The caller insists on asking her to open the link to find the address.
The caller sends the same message to another woman journalist of Rozh
News by name Berivan Ali. Shina informs security department via an institution,
but after that a new type of surveillance begins when they find that a man is
shown in the surveillance cameras of the institution watching the building and
recording video. The same thing is repeated in the next day when the staff
members of Rozh News are in a meeting.
They contact security department for another time and give picture,
video footage and plate number of the vehicle to security forces as evidence.
At 27th March night, a vehicle carrying three passengers blocks the road
before Shina when she is driving home in Qularaisi quarter. Two of the
passengers get out of the car and Shina asks them as who they are. One of them
answers her with one word "the state” and tells her not to be afraid "if you
work with us you won’t receive any harms”. Shina asks them as what they want
from her. The same person answers telling her that she has only five months
permission.
He clarifies for her that if she does not work with them, they will rape
her and then kill her. They deliver their message in a short period of time and
leave.
The threats on her life continues until at night of 18th May a person
called (Aysal) sends messages via telegram with his number unknown and writes
in Kurdish Kurmanji "Everything is clear”. Then it is made known that they are
the same people who threatened her previously reminding Shina to be aware of
the permission they gave her.
The messages are sent until 5th of October and they are fully aware that
Shina travelled to Europe and they first think that she will return and work
for them and then when they realize she will not return they threaten her
telling her if she does not keep silent, they will kill her like they killed
Wadat.
The last message which was sent on 5th of October was written in Kurdish
Sorani "Either work with us or keep silent”.
On 14th August, via an account by name "Dawlati Kurdistan” (Kurdistan
State) Shina Faeq receives messages swearing at her and threatening her they
will rape her and cut her tongue if she does not keep silent.
Violation cases in
2022 which were recorded by Metro Center:
· On 1st of
January, in the park of Goran Office in Dohuk, a security force did not allow
live broadcast of KNN TV team while they were covering the activity of (the
umbrella of international volunteer solicitors).
· On 2nd of
January, when KNN team was covering live the fire breakout in some food stores
in the town of Koyah, the owners of the stores attacked the team and their
tools were seized, though the owners have previously agreed to let KNN to cover
the incident live.
· On 4th of
January, the team of Wilat Media (Muhammad Khalil and Taman Abdulla) were not
allowed to cover a news conference by Ministry of Endowment.
· On 9th of
January, a team of "Payam TV” told Metro that a security force did not allow
them to cover a gathering in Nawroz park in Dohuk which was held by bakeries’
workers due to increase of gas price from 300 dinars to 600 dinars.
· On 11th of
January, both Rudaw TV and NRT TV were not allowed to cover news conference of
coordinator of international reports of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG),
Dindar Zebari, in which many of the journalists of Kurdistan Region attended.
· On 12thof January, NRT team (Herish Qadir, Choman Muhammad, Ahmed Muhammad and Burhan
Abdulla) were not allowed to cover news conference of government in Erbil.
· On 20th of
January, Speda reporter, Madih Jamal Taha, was not allowed to cover gas crisis
before Koyah Gas Factory in which a security personnel of east Erbil in civic
uniform told the reporter that he would beat him with a gas bottle if he did
not leave the place.
· On 25th of
January, in Shakhke quarter in Dohuk near Judi Mosque, a security force did not
allow Payam satellite TV team and Badinan Sat team, Matin Muhammad, to cover
news conference of representatives of owners of bakeries.
· On 3rd of February,
in Kurdsat quarter in Sulaymaniyah, some identified people knock at the
journalist, Muhammad Fatih’s, house door hard and then ran away. The journalist
says that that aimed to silence him as the incident was repeated for several
times.
· On 5th of February,
in the town of Zakho of Dohuk province, a security force arrested reporter and
photographer of Speda TV (Khabir Barzan and Husen Mishrir) while they were
covering an opening ceremony of a center for teaching Quran.
· On 5th of
February in the town of Zakho, the staff members of Khabir TV, Barzan Hassan,
Dler Haji and Mushir Ahmed, were arrested for some hours by security forces of
the town while they were covering opening ceremony of "Tibyan” organization.
· On 6th February
in Erbil in which a news conference on works and activities of Health Ministry
for Combating Cancer were due to be issued in Rotana Hotel, but the media teams
of (Kurdsatnews, Rudaw, Kurdistan TV, Kurdistan 24, KNN, Gali Kurdistan, Speda,
Sharpress, Jamawar, Westga News, Wilat Media, Politic Press, Esta, Paragraph,
Khalik and Basnews) were not allowed to cover the ceremony.
· On 11th of
February, in Dohuk, security forces attacked Rudaw team and took their Live
broadcast tools during live coverage before the governorate’s office.
· On 11th of
February, the security forces of Khabat district did not allow media channels
to cover tensions and shooting by a security force in that district which
belongs to Erbil.
· On 17th
February, in Dohuk, a security force attacked a Speda channel team (Yusif
Mahmoud and Salman Hassan) and arrested them shortly while covering a gathering
of taxi drivers.
· On 21st of
February, in Amedi town of Dohuk province, a health sector official threated a
reporter of Badinan Sat channel (Esan Abdulrahman) who said that no government
official in the town was willing to spoke to them.
· On 27th
February, the NRT reporters (Umed Chomani and Muhhamd Ismail) were not allowed
by a syndicate’s activist to go to Baghdad Terminal in Erbil to cover the issue
of drivers.
· On 1st of
March, Gavnews staff were forced to leave during a ceremony in the Memories’
Hall of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) branch in Dohuk.
· On 7th March,
the KNN team was not allowed to cover the ceremony of opening of new groceries’
location in Sulaymaniyah in which all the media channels were invited to
attend.
· On 10th of
March, in Sulaymaniyah, Speda TV team, Bestun Muhammad and Ayub Lattof, was not
allowed to cover protests of retirees.
· On 16th of
March, in Dohuk, a security force attacked NRT TV team, Tayf Goran and Ahmed
Zikri, and did not allow them to cover fire breakout in a building and their
tools were seized .
· On 13th of
March, Kurdistan 24 Office building received damage to some its parts as the
result of missile attack by Iranian revolutionary army against a civic area of
Erbil.
· On 17th of
March, in Erbil, an employee of a bank did not allow NRT TV team, Murad Ahmad
and Namo Muhammad, to prepare a report on demands of relatives of martyrs who
gathered before that bank.
· On 24th of
March, in Dohuk, unidentified men attacked cameraman of Gavnews.
· On 26th of
March, in Mawat district of Sulaymaniyah province, Speda team, Bestun Muhammad
and Ayub Lattif, were not allowed to cover the incident of drowning of three
people in Mawat river. They were forced to erase what they filmed. After the
team left the area, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) media team arrived
at the scene and did their job without facing any restrictions.
· On 1st of
April, in Erbil, Wilat TV was not allowed to attend news conference of Ministry
of Endowment. Lazar Muhammad Khalil Shwani from the team stated that: when they
were covering a news conference of Ministry of Endowment, unlike the other
ministries, they were not allowed to continue their work.
· On 2nd of
April, before the hospital of Mawat district of Sulaymaniyah province, a man
attacked KNN team, Shahen Wahab and Muhammad Barzinji, and the camera of team
was broken and the cameraman transferred to hospital due to wounds he received.
· On 2nd of
April, before the hospital of Mawat district of Sulaymaniyah province Rudaw
team was attacked, Rebin Jalal and Peshawa Bakhtyar, their camera and its stand
were broken.
· On 2nd of
April, before the hospital of Mawat district of Sulaymaniyah province Westga
news team was attacked.
· On 3rd of
April, in Erbil, ministry of endowment did not allow media teams of Anadol, NRT
and Zhyan, (Abdo Rostayee, Zozg Balak, Umed Chomani, Najim aldin Sidiq, Karzan
Muhammad, Hemin Husen) to cover the news conference of the committee to track
moon appearance.
· On 4th April,
in Dohuk, journalists, Zhyan Abas and Hogir Sharif, were not allowed to cover
gasoline crisis in the city.
· On 5th of
April, in Jadaa camp in south of Mosul, a number of unknown armed peope
attacked Rudaw team, Hunar Rashid, and seized their camera and tools and treat
them rudely. The security forces returned the media materials to the team
following contact with governor of Ninawa.
· On 6th of
April, in the Sihelan area of Dohuk province, a security force seized the media
materials of Gavnews, Mevan Majid.
· On 4th of
April, In Saed Sadiq district, a gasoline station worker did not allow KNN TV
team, Abubakir Husen and Isa San, to cover distribution benzene from Baghdad.
· On 10th of
April, in Zakho district, fans attack reporter and cameraman of NRT TV and did
not allow them to cover the violence occurred in the match between Zakho and
Herish teams and broke their tools.
· On 17th and
22nd of April, in the town of Shiladize of Dohuk province, NRT TV reporter, Nihad
Ismael, was not allowed to cover the damages of Turkish army bombardment of the
area and he also was now allowed to cover the bombardment damages in the next
day.
· On 22nd of
April, in Zakho stadium, fans attacked reporter and cameraman of NRT TV.
· On 24th of
April, in Erbil, two teams of KNN TV, Rebaz Majid, Majid Majdo, Abdulwahab
Ahmed and Ayub Ali, were attacked while covering protests of retirees.
· On 24th of
April, in Erbil, a security force attacked reporter of Paragraph, Farman Sadiq.
· On 26th of
April, a security team attacked the team of Esta media, Dyar Husen and Hangaw
Nino, while covering demonstrations against Turkish invasion before UN
headquarters in Erbil.
· On 1st of
May, a security force arrest NRT and Kirkuk TV teams, Yusif Murad, Dyar
Muhammad, Ali Baghdadi, Umed Chomani and Najim al-din Sadiq, while covering the
missile attack on Kawir Gosk refinery in Erbil province. And they were freed
after their filmed footages were erased.
· On 5th of
May, a security force in Sihela area of Dohuk province did not allow a team of
Gavnews website, Mevan Majid and Abdulkhaliq Majid, and seized their tools.
· On 11th of
May, reporter of NRT TV, Herish Qadir, was not allowed to attend news
conference of government.
· On 18th of
May, in Dohuk, teams of Speda TV, Isra Muslih, Biwar Mustafa, Muhammad Husen
and Azad Saadi, were not allowed to cover graduation ceremony of Dohuk
University.
· On 18th of
May, in Sulaymaniyah city, a team of Kurdistan24 TV, Dyar Jamal and Karwan
Biyara, was attacked by supporters of a political party from northern Kurdistan
when they were reporting on killing of a restaurant owner and their tools were
broken.
· On 20th of
May, in Erbil, NRT TV live coverage was forced to stop while covering the way
retirees were receiving their pensions in a bank in the city. In the live
coverage a security forces personnel comes before the camera and forcing the
reporter to leave the area.
· On 24th of
May, there was a missile attack on an office of broadcast of a Kurdistan
Democratic Party (KDP) media channel in Bekher mountain which lies between
Dohuk and Zakho in which heavy damage inflicted upon the building and the
tools. Each of (Radio Dohuk, Dohuk TV, Zakho Radio and Dalal TV) and some other
radio and TV stations are broadcasting their programs to that area.
· On 25th of
May, in Sulaymaniyah, a security force did not allow a team of Sharpress, upon
a request of Sulaymaniyah Traffic Police, to follow up a statement by Iraqi
government.
· On 30th of
May, before Education Directorate of Dohuk, NRT team, Ahmed Zikri and Tayf
Goran, were not allowed to cover news conference of lecturing teachers.
· On 31st of
May, in Erbil, NRT TV team, Hersih Qadir and Ahmed Muhammad, were not allowed
to cover news conference of coordinator of international reports of KRG.
· On 31st of
May, in Dohuk, a security force did not allow Speda channel, Yusif Muhamad and
Hajar Salman, to cover gathering of lecturing teachers before the education
directorate of the city.
· On 8th of
June, after a bombed-drone landed on the road between Erbil and Pirmam, media
channels were not allowed to cover the incident in that area. And even reporter
of Westga news, Nabaz Rashad, was beaten and the teams of, Estanews, NRT, Gali
Kurdistan, Kurdistan TV, Paragraph, Rudaw, Kurdistan24 and KNN) were not
allowed to cover the incident and their media tools were seized.
· On 8th of
June, in Mamostayan quarter in Erbil, NRT TV team, Murad Ahmed and Burhan
Abdulla, were not allowed to cover the quarter’s protesters.
· On 12th of
June, in Dohuk, both journalists Hemin Ibrahim and Bryar Haji were not allowed
to use camera and microphones in the demonstration by security forces because
it does not have permission.
· On 17th of
June, in Sulaymaniyah, some supporters of a party of northern Kurdistan attacked
reporter of Kurdistan TV, Muhamad Salih Aziz.
· On 21st of
July, in Erbil, NRT TV team, Herish Qadir and Ahmed Muhammad, were not allowed
to cover sending back bodies of victims of Zakho bombardment.
· On 21st of
June, in Shekhan district, a force did not allow reporter of NRT TV, Sabah
Yusif, to cover damages caused by a missile and he was beaten by bat of an
AK47.
· On 26th of
July, in Erbil, NRT TV team, Herish Qadir and Ahmed Muhammad, were not allowed
news conference of both electricity ministers of the Kurdistan region and Iraq.
· On 7th of
July, before Hamreen Bank in Erbil, the bank’s guards threatened team of Speda
TV, Shabaz Abdulla and Zhyar Hamza, of beating and breaking their microphones
if they would not leave the area. The team was covering the process of
distributing salaries.
· On 22nd of
July, during a raid of security forces on Shary Jwan hotel in Sulaymaniyah,
Rudaw TV team, Peshawa Bakhtyar and Rebeen Jalal, were not allowed to cover the
incident and their camera and tools were seized. They received back their
camera and tools after one week.
· On 28th of
June, in Bardarash camp, NRT TV team, Sabah Yusif, was not allowed to enter the
camp for covering incident of fire breakout in the camp. At a time, most of the
other media teams were inside the camp covering the incident.
· On 5th of
July, before agricultural bank in Sulaymaniyah, Zezyuz reporter was not allowed
to cover the process of distribution of salaries.
· On 12th of
July, in Dohuk, team of Speda TV, Azad Saadi and Hajar Salman, were not allowed
to enter Kwashe area for coverning the protest gathering of part of the
factories’ owners.
· On 12th of
July, in Zakho district, reporter and cameraman of NRT TV, Wahid Nimat and
Habaz Nimat, were not allowed to cover the demonstration of taxi drivers and
their tools seized.
· On 18th of
July, an electronic attack was conducted against the main page of Diplomatic
media institution aiming at erasing of the reports on corruption.
· On 26th of
July, in Sulaymaniyah, the New Terminal’s company’s guards did not allow Speda
TV team, Bestoon Muhammad and Ayub Lattif, to cover the issues of the terminal.
· On 1st of
August, NRT TV reporter, Karzan Tariq and cameraman, Chenar Ahmed were arrested
in Sulaymaniyah, then freed at late night.
· On 5th of
August, a security force arrested NRT TV reporters Tayf Goran, Bryar Nerway and
Sabah Sofi before the TV’s office in Dohuk and seized their media tools.
· On 5th of
August, in Dohuk, NRT TV reporters Tayf Goran and Bryar Nerway were arrested
before the TV’s office and their media tools were seized.
· On 6th
August, a security force in Erbil arrested KNN TV reporter Ayub Warte before
the date of the demonstrations in Kurdistan Region.
· On 6th of
August, a security force in Dohuk closed the office of Rastnews office.
· On 6th of
August, in Sulaymaniyah, manager of Kurd News, Abdulla Ahmed, was arrested in
his house.
· On 6th of
August, in Erbil, reporters of NRT TV, Rizgar Kochar, Umed Chomani and Herish
Qadir were arrested.
· On 6th of
August, in the town of Chamchamal, a security force arrested NRT TV reporters
Dyar Muhammad and Soran Muhammad and the cameraman Mahmud Rizgar during
covering demonstrations in the town.
· On 6th of
August, in Sara square of Sulaymaniyah, editor-in-chief of Westga News, Sirwan
Gharib, and his team, Zanyar Mariwan, Hevar Hiwa and Arkan Abdulqadir were
arrested.
· On Saturday,
6th of August, in the Sara square of Sulaymaniyah, the security forces arrested
Diplomatic website reporter Zhilya Ali and cameraman Azhi Abdulqadir.
· On 6th of
August, in Kalar district, security forces arrested Radio Dang reporter
Muhammad Mahmudi.
· On 6th of
August, in Kalar district, security forces did not allow reporter of Fourth
Power website reporter and seized his media tools.
· On 6th of
August, in Sara square of Sulaymaniyah, Sinur Karim and Muhammad Nawzad were
arrested and their media tools were seized.
· On 6th of
August, in Sara square of Sulaymaniyah, Rachilakin website reporter Ibrahim
Fatah was not allowed by security forces and his media tools were seized.
· On 6th of August,
in Sara square of Sulaymaniyah, security forces did not allow cameraman of BM
channel and seized his media tools and another team of the channel, Dinya Majid
and Omar Diler, had their media tools seized.
· On 6th of
August, in Sara square of Sulaymaniyah, security forces did not allow Mike
team, Kanar Azad and Marwan Ali, seized their media tools.
· On 6th of
August, in Sara square of Sulaymaniyah, security forces did not allow cameraman
of Khandan website, Koras Numan, and seized their media tools.
· On 6th of
August, NRT TV journalist, Herish Qadir, was threatened via a Korek phone
number, the number is kept by Metro Center. At the same time, a force raided
his house in Erbil which forced his family to leave their house.
· On 6th of
August, in Sara square of Sulaymaniyah, each of Zhina Satar, Muhammad Jalal,
Lanya Bakhtyar and Hawraz Ahmed had lost their vision shortly because of tear
gas.
· On 6th of
August, in Saed Sadiq town, the reporter of Westga News had lost his eyes’
sight shortly because of tear gas.
· On 6th of
August, in Mamostayan quarter in Erbil, two teams of NRT TV were not allowed to
cover protests of the quarter’s residents.
· On 6th of
August, in Kalakchi, a security force arrested NRT TV reporter, Sabah Yusif,
for 10 hours then took him to a security forces’ base in Dohuk and was
investigated with and had his mobile been checked then freed him.
· On 6th of
August, in Dohuk, Sharpress reporter, Marwan Yahya, was not allowed.
· On 6th of
August, on Shawaysi road in Erbil, Wesganews reporter was arrested for 40
minutes and was not allowed to cover damages caused by drone attack on the area
and his media tools were broken.
· On 7th of
August, NRT TV presenter, Muhammad Rahim, cameraman, Bryar Ali and the team’s
driver, Shivan Othman, were arrested by a security force in Sulaymaniyah.
· On 16th of
August, in Sami Abdulrahman Park in Erbil, Westganews reporter, Nabaz Rashad
was not allowed.
· On 20th of
August, in Salim Street of Sulaymaniyah, media tools of Politic Press were
seized.
· On 27th of
August, in Zakho district of Dohuk, a number of unknown people threaten to "cut
tongue” of journalist, Nizar Talat Ahmed.
· On 29th of
August, the quarter’s council did not allow NRT TV team while covering protests
of Minara quarter in Erbil although the landowners asked for permitting the NRT
TV coverage.
· On 29th of
August, in Erbil, a man shouts at journalists to leave the area calling them
disrupters during a gathering before Council of Ministers.
· On 31st of
August, a man in uniform did not allow Speda TV team, Irfan Ahmed and Mukhtar
Habib, to cover the gathering of a group of health sector volunteers of the
city and forced the team to halt the broadcast.
· On 1st of
September, in Dohuk, Gavnews team was not allowed to cover protests of drivers.
· On 4th of
September, in the town of Halabjah, a security force seized mobile phone of
reporter of Wisha during a protest gathering.
· On 4th of
September, in the town of Halabjah, the security forces did not allow some
media channels, Kurdsat, Speda, NRT, Gali Kurdistan, Kurdistan24 and Wisha
mobile, to cover gathering of volunteers of the town and seized their tools.
· On 5th of
September, in Khalifan sub-district of Soran independent administration, a
security force arrested NRT TV reporter for 15 hours and forced him to fill a
promissory note vowing not to come back to the area.
· On 7th of
September, fans attacked cameraman of Rega website, Zana Khalid, during a match
between Erbil and Zanko clubs in the last game of girls’ handball in Iraq.
· On 8thof September 2022, an unknown force did not allow Rudaw team and arrested them
shortly during a coverage in Directorate of Cadastre of Chamchamal and their
memory card of their camera was seized. The team included cameraman, Harem
Burhan and Rudaw driver, Dyar Rizgar.
· On 14th of
September, NRT TV team, Umed Chomani and Soran Ahmed, were not allow to attend
a conference of Erbil Traffic Police Directorate as part of a campaign aiming
at seizing motorcycles.
· On 17th of
September, NRT reporter, Rizgar Kochar, was not allowed to continue a live
coverage inside a popular bazar in Erbil.
· On 17th of
September, a security force in ChwarChra quarter in Sulaymaniyah, Rozhnews and
Chatr Company media teams, Brwa Asad, Botan Garmyani and Muhammad Azizi, were
arrested.
· On 18th of
September, in Zakho district of Dohuk province, a security force did not allow
Speda TV team, Barzan Hassan and Mushir Ahmed, to cover a gathering over lack
of services.
· On 18th of
September, in Zakho district of Dohuk province, a security force did not allow
NRT team, Wahid Niamat and Shabaz Niamat, to cover a gathering over lack of
services.
· On 20th of
September, in Batele sub-district, a man attacked NRT reporter, Wahid Niamat.
· On 24th of
September, in Erbil, a security force attack reporter of Westga News, Nabaz Rashad,
and seized his tools during gathering before UNAMI office.
· On 28th of
September, in Salim Street of Sulaymaniyah, a security force attacked reporter
of Kurdistan24, Nyan Barzan, and cameraman and seized their tools during a
protest against Iranian bombardment of the areas in Kurdistan Region.
· On 28th of
September, before mayor’s house in Dohuk, Speda TV team, Azad Saadi and Hajar
Salman, were not allowed to cover gathering of bakeries owners and forced them
to erase photos they took. Badinan Sat, KNN and Payam TVs were also not allowed
to cover the gathering.
· On 1st of
October, a security force attacked Speda TV team, Yusif Mahmud and Hajar
Salman, and did not allow them to cover the ceremony of awarding prizes by
International Peace Organization.
· On 1st of
October, security forces in Soran town did not allow Speda TV team, Yunis
Muhammad, to cover gathering of students of 26th Gulan school.
· On 7th of
October, in Erbil, a security force attacked reporter of Westga News, Nabaz
Rashad, and seized his tools.
· On 7th of
October, in Sarbasti quarter in Erbil, a planted bomb detonated at a car of
Toyota Prado type, the security forces attacked Rudaw cameraman, Ahmed Yunis
and Farhad Dolamari, and harmed them.
· On 7th of
October, in Sarbasti quarter in Erbil, Ranj Rahman, Kurdsat reporter, told
Metro that "There were people taking photos and they were not journalists, then
they told us that taking photos is not allowed” stressing that” the security
forces do not mark the location of the incidents with red tapes in order to let
us know our boundaries”.
· On 9th of
October, Bwar News team, Sartip Waisi and Ibrahim Ali, while they were on their
way back to Erbil from Sulaymaniyah, a security force arrested them and freed
them on 15th of October.
· On 12th of
November, in groceries house in Sulaymaniyah, Rudaw team, Peshawa Bakhtyar and
Mariwan Ali, were not allowed to cover fire breakout in the place by shop
owners and tradesmen.
· On 14th of
October, in Zirgwez area of Sulaymaniyah province, security forces did not allow
Rudaw team, Peshawa Bakhtyar and Soran Salih, to cover the scenes of
bombardment of bases of parties of eastern Kurdistan and seized their tools.
· On 19th of
October, a security force arrested director and cameraman of production team at
Metro Center, Zana Nawzad and Ziring Rahim, during filming on main road between
Sulaymaniyah and Qaradagh area, and held them in security directorate prison
until 20th of October.
· On 24th of
October, in Erbil, a security force attacked reporter of Westga News, Nabaz Rashad,
while covering fire breakout in downtown stores.
· On 29th of
October, in Sulaymaniyah, reporter of Wisha, Hoshyar Ali, was arrested then
freed after 24-hour stay in security office custody.
· On 2nd of
November, in Dohuk, SharPress reporter, Marwan Yahya, was not allowed to take
photos inside the city and then was under arrest at a hotel.
· On 12th of
November, the guards of Cristal Hotel in Erbil attacked reporter of Zagros TV,
Mustafa Salman, during a fire breakout in the restaurant of the hotel and did
not allow cameraman of Zoom, Yusif Farsi, to film the incident.
· On 13th of
November, around the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Political Bureau
headquarters in Sulaymaniyah, some groups which did not wear any security or
police forces’ badges attacked KNN TV reporter, Bryar Namiq, and seized live
broadcast tools.
· On 13th of
November, a force in civic uniform attacked Westga News team and arrested its
members and seized their tools. Cameraman of the team, Zanyar Mariwani, was
forced into a vehicle for half an hour. Meanwhile, a interior security force in
the same location forced reporter of Westga News, Lanya Bakhtyar, into their
vehicle and took them to an alley behind Sulaymaniyah Court telling them that
they can go.
· On 22nd of
November, before Sulaymaniyah University, a number of students held a gathering
and blocked the main road of the city calling for their bursary. The teams of
Kurdsat, Rudaw, Payam, Nasnews, Politic Press, Speda, Rachalakin and Khandan
were harmed and were not allowed to cover the gathering.
· On 23rd of
October, on the raod between Amedi and Deralook checkpoints, the checkpoint’s
security did not allow NRT TV team, Tayf Goran, Ahmed Zikri, Hadi Muhammad, to
speak to families of Badinan arrested people.
· On 26th of
November, a security force arrested journalist, Rawa Burhan, for charges over
running an unidentified webpage and he was bailed on 14th of December.
· On 25th of
October, in Batifa district, a security team of the district arrested NRT TV
team, Wahid Sindi and Shahbaz Niamat, for half an hour and seized their tools
and erased what they had recorded while making a report on distribution of gas.
· On 28th of
October, before Dohuk University, Speda TV team, Azad Saadi and Hajar Salman,
were not allowed to cover an activity.
· On 4th of
November, in Dohuk, KNN reporter, Masoud Hadi, was not allow to go into a live
broadcast.
· On 6th of
December, the TV teams of, NRT, Payam, Speda, KNN and Media Zan, were not
allowed to pass the checkpoint to cover the ceremony of making the town of
Sidakan a district although the teams were officially invited by Soran
Independent Administration to the ceremony. The teams’ members were: Azad
Omarawayee-Payam reporter, Abdo Rosatyee-KNN reporter, Yunis Muhammad-Speda
reporter, Aso Warty-Media Zan website reporter, Abdulwahid Mushir-KNN
cameraman)
· On 7th of
December, in Kwashe area of Dohuk, Speda TV team, Azad Saadi and Hajar Salman,
were not allowed to cover protest gathering of the firms in that area.
· On 9th of
December, before the Directorate of Cadastre of Chamchamal of Garmyan
administration, a security force did not allow Kurdistan24 TV team, Aram
Bakhtyar, Barham Jamal and Soran Hakim-a driver, and detained them for some
time and their media tools were seized.
· On 11th of
December, a security forces personnel of Dohuk seized mobile phone of NRT TV
team, Tayf Goran and Hemin Ibrahim, and returned back to them after three days.