July 29, 2024, Sulaimani, Metro Center announces: The decision of the Duhok court against journalist Sulaiman Ahmad is not fair and the conditions for a fair trial were not present and demands the cancellation of the decision.

The trial of journalist Sulaiman Ahmad ended today July 29th 2024, in Duhok court hall where he was sentenced to three years in prison.

Journalist Sulaiman Ahmad was sentenced to three years in prison under Article 1 of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament No. 21 of 2003 on charges of being a member of the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

Since the arrest of Sulaiman Ahmad on October 25, 2023, Metro Center has repeatedly requested the judiciary to conduct the trial under Law No. 35 of 2007, the Journalism Law, and allow his family and lawyer to see him in a fair atmosphere where the trial should be held.

Metro Center says the decision of the Duhok court against journalist Sulaiman Ahmad is not fair and the conditions for a fair trial were not present, and demands the cancellation of the decision.

It also calls for the courts not to be used as a factor of pressure and revenge against journalists and freedom fighters.

 In cases of freedom of publication and expression, the conditions must be created to provide a fair trial.

Metro Center believes that Law No. 35 of 2007 on the Journalism Law must be applied in cases of publication, and other laws must not be resorted to under any pretext.

In the case of Sulaiman Ahmad, he was not provided with his rights as an accused, including the manner of his arrest and denial of arrest for a period of time, then he was allowed to see his family and lawyer after 211 days, all these raise doubts about the truthfulness of the charges against him.

Sulaiman Ahmad, a journalist and reporter of the Arabic section of Rojnews Agency, was arrested by the security forces on October 25, 2023, at the Fishkhabur gate while returning to work after visiting his father's funeral in West Kurdistan.