The local government in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq continues to commit serious violations of the civil and human rights of citizens, including civil society activists, journalists, and protesters. In this periodic report, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) documents these violations, which occurred over the past five months, and calls on local authorities to work diligently to respect public freedoms, including freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of the press.
Journalist Omed Baroshki continues to be imprisoned
Journalist and civil society activist Omed Haji Fatah Baroshki from the Bahdinan area, who is the owner of Rast Media, was scheduled to be released on 30 July 2025. However, his lawyer, Revink Yassin, announced that his release was postponed by six months.
The postponement is related to a previous defamation case filed against him in 2021 by former Kurdistan Regional Parliament member for the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Mullah Ihsan Rekani. He was sentenced to a suspended six months in prison, unless further cases are filed against him.
On 30 January 2025, the Duhok Misdemeanor Court sentenced him to six months in prison. He was convicted under Article 2 of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s Law on the Prevention of Misuse of Telecommunications Equipment, which relates to the misuse of a mobile phone. His lawyer filed an appeal against the ruling.
Local sources confirmed that this case, filed against him by the administration of Zarka General Prison in Duhok, is related to a social media post he made calling for the release of other prisoners of conscience.
Baroshki had previously been arrested several times. On 22 February 2024, security forces raided his home and arrested him. He was not released until three days later, without any information being revealed about the reason for his arrest. He was also arrested on 19 August 2020, during the teachers’ and employees’ protests against the authorities responsible for their unpaid salaries. He was not released until 22 February 2022, after spending a year and seven months in prison. He faced several prison sentences totalling two years and six months, in addition to a fine of 240,000 Iraqi dinars for another case.
On 13 August 2024, security forces arrested Baroshki as part of a security campaign to disperse participants in the annual commemoration of the death of journalist Wedat Hussein Ali who were attempting to gather at his shrine in Dohuk. He was released hours later, and the participants were forcibly dispersed.
Citizens, including fellow journalists and activists in the Kurdistan Region and abroad, continued to express their solidarity with him.
Mass arrests in Sulaymaniyah to prevent peaceful demonstration
On 21 June 2025, a group of teachers and employees in Sulaymaniyah announced at a press conference their intention to organise a peaceful demonstration on 26 June 2025, to demand the payment of overdue salaries and to oppose corruption, mismanagement, and the lack of social justice (main photo of previous protests in Sulaymaniyah).
Several organisers of the demonstration were arrested in advance by security forces deployed throughout the city’s streets and public gathering places, including the West Sulaymaniyah Education Directorate, which was surrounded by large security forces to prevent the demonstration from taking place.
On 24 June 2025, two civil society activists and protesting members of the Teachers’ and Employees’ Association, Othman Kulbi and Dilshad Mirani, were arrested after being summoned by the Internal Security Directorate (Asayish). They were detained for two days and released on the afternoon of 26 June 2025.
The Kurdistan National Stance Movement (Helwesti) also announced that, on 25 June 2025, security forces in civilian clothes arrested a number of civil society activists, teachers, and employees protesting outside its office in Sulaymaniyah. The individuals were: Shahla Ali, Munira Abdullah, Nour Farqi, Dilawar Ali, Zrian Ali, Najmuddin Mohammed, and Mohammed Rasool.
On 26 June 2026, shortly before the demonstration began in Sulaymaniyah, security forces in the city launched a widespread arrest campaign that included civil society activists, political activists, journalists, and media teams covering the events.
Four political activists were arrested on this day: Ali Hama Salih, head of the Kurdistan National Stance Movement and member of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament, Dr. Ghaleb Mohammed, a leader in the Kurdistan National Stance Movement and former member of the Iraqi Parliament, Rebwar Karam, a leader in the Coalition for Democracy and Justice, and Omar Kulbi, a leader in the Islamic Group Party and member of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament. They were detained at the Internal Security Directorate (Asayish) in Sulaymaniyah and were all released at 1:00 PM the same day.
A number of journalists and media professionals who wanted to cover the demonstrations were also arrested that same day, including Moral Satellite TV correspondent Mehran Ramadan and her colleague, cameraman Nizar Satar, who were taken to an unknown location.
The media crew of Payam Satellite TV, consisting of reporter Hoshyar Mohammed and cameraman Hemin Mohammed, was also arrested.
This campaign also included the arrest of several members of the Speda Satellite TV media crew, including reporter Ibrahim Salih and photojournalists Ayoub Aziz and Mohammed Saadullah, along with their driver, Hassan Mohammed.
Zulia Ali, a correspondent for the Diplomatic Magazine Institution for Digital media, was also arrested.
Security forces also arrested two media crews from Zoom Satellite TV while they were attempting to cover teachers’ protests in front of the West Sulaymaniyah Education Directorate.
It is worth noting that all detainees were released hours after their arrest. Local sources confirmed that the purpose of their arrest was to prevent them from covering demonstrations and protests in the city.
In a statement issued on 26 June 2025, the Kurdistan Regional Security Service claimed, "We were forced to arrest a number of protest organisers over the past two days as we were aware of a plot against them to achieve political goals by inciting chaos among demonstrators and those demanding justice.” The statement explained, "Our goal in arresting them was solely to protect their lives and the lives of demonstrators and protesters.”
The Metro Center for Defending Journalists’ Rights issued a statement on the same day confirming the arrests in Sulaymaniyah, stating, "53 protesters and 14 journalists were arrested and released.” It also strongly condemns "the arrest of journalists, civil and political activists, welcomes the release of media teams and a number of activists, and calls for the immediate release of all those detained in connection with the demonstration.”
Assault on woman human rights defender Delsoz Zangana
On 25 June 2025, security forces physically and verbally assaulted engineer and woman human rights defender Delsoz Shafiq Zangana while she and a group of protesting teachers were holding a press conference in front of a public park in Sulaymaniyah to demand the release of their detained colleagues. She sustained injuries as a result of the beating and was taken with her colleagues to a security center in the governorate, where they were detained for one day. After her release, she received treatment at the hospital.
Zangana is the head of the Dabin Organisation for Democratic Development and Human Rights, founded in 2017, which works to empower women and defend human rights and democracy in the Kurdistan Region.
Human rights lawyer Shwan Kurdi assaulted after kidnapping attempt
On 16 July 2025, unidentified armed men in three vehicles attacked human rights lawyer Shwan Saber Kurdi on Route 120 in Erbil. The attackers initially attempted to kidnap him, but when they failed, they severely beat him and threatened him to stop publicly criticising the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) or face even worse consequences. The attack resulted in severe injuries that required hospitalisation. Local sources confirmed that despite his complaint and the ability of the relevant authorities to easily identify the perpetrators, no serious action was taken.
GCHR expresses its full solidarity with human rights lawyer Shwan Saber Kurdi and strongly condemns the two attempted kidnappings and assaults he was subjected to. It is the responsibility of local authorities to protect citizens, not to allow outlawed armed groups to abuse them and violate their civil and human rights.
Political activist Sipan Amidi kidnapped and assaulted
On the morning of 29 June 2025, political activist and member of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament for the New Movement bloc (Gorran), Sipan Salim Hassan Amidi, 34 years old, was assaulted and kidnapped after leaving a meeting in the city of Duhok by security forces affiliated with the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). The kidnapping occurred following his recent statements criticising the deteriorating living conditions and rampant corruption in the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Amidi is a journalist and member of the Kurdistan Journalists’ Syndicate with 13 years of experience. He is known for his harsh criticism of local authorities. He was found at the evening of the same day after being abandoned on the street between Duhok and Zakho and was taken to the hospital for treatment for wounds and bruises.
Two satellite channels’ media crews detained
On 24 June 2025, security forces in Sulaymaniyah detained a media crew from the NRT satellite channel while they were conducting a news report in the city’s public market, reflecting the deteriorating conditions there and the deteriorating purchasing power of citizens due to the delay in paying salaries to employees in the region. The crew, comprised of correspondent Ali Saleh and photojournalist Mir Sarkawt, were taken to the Internal Security Directorate (Asayish), where all their equipment, including their cameras and mobile phones, was confiscated. They were released with their equipment after a six-hour detention.
On 24 April 2025, security forces in the Alqosh subdistrict, part of the Tel Keppe district in Nineveh Governorate and located north of Mosul, the provincial capital, attacked journalist Rojhat Luqman while he was doing live coverage with the AVA satellite channel crew in front of a crowded national ID card issuance centre.
The coverage followed complaints from citizens about congestion at the centre and delays in processing transactions. However, security forces denied the media crew access to the necessary coverage, detained them all during their live broadcast, and confiscated their equipment, including cameras and mobile phones. They were released and their devices returned after a two-hour detention.
Political activist Islam Zebari arrested
On 06 April 2025, security forces in Duhok arrested political activist and member of the Kurdistan National Stance Movement, Islam Iskandar Ahmed (Islam Zebari), after he made statements regarding widespread corruption in the Ministry of Peshmerga.
Zebari, a Peshmerga colonel with a university degree in international relations and politics, has written for nearly a year warning of violations within the Peshmerga. He was released on 22 April 2025, after being detained for 17 days.
Two civil society activists arrested
On 19 March 2025, security forces in Erbil Governorate arrested civil society activists Hawre Kurdi and Ziyaur Kurdi and took them to an unknown location after accusing them of organising Nowruz celebrations in the Qandil area of Erbil Governorate. They were released on 14 April 2025, after spending 25 days in detention. Hawre Kurdi had been arrested several times for his opposition to Turkish attacks on civilian areas and villages in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Civil Society Activist Released
On 18 March 2025, the Erbil Court of Appeals decided to drop all charges against teacher and civil society activist Luqman Najm and release him. The Erbil Criminal Court sentenced him to one and a half years in prison on 25 August 2024, after he participated in demonstrations organised by teachers demanding their financial rights and criticising the Kurdistan Regional Government. He was arrested on 23 November 2024.
Political Activist Adam Suleiman arrested
The Erbil Governorate Internal Security Directorate (Asayish) announced in a statement that on 09 February 2025, political activist and member of the Kurdistan National Stance Movement, Adam Othman Suleiman, was arrested while driving the vehicle of political activist and head of the Kurdistan National Stance Movement and member of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament, Ali Hama Salih. Salih was filming and recording footage of several locations in the city to document security forces’ preparations to confront popular demonstrations. He later published the footage. The statement claimed that the purpose of publishing it was to "incite and motivate people to destabilise the region.” Reliable local sources confirmed that local and Arab media outlets had published a large number of similar reports about these preparations, all of which fall within the scope of journalistic work. He was released on 13 March 2025.
Recommendations
The Kurdistan Regional Government must ensure that all citizens, including journalists, media professionals, and all human rights defenders, including women’s rights defenders, are able to carry out their legitimate human rights work without fear of reprisals and free from all restrictions including judicial harassment.
GCHR calls on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all detained civil society activists, journalists and other prisoners of conscience whose civil and human rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly, are being violated. The authorities must fulfill their constitutional obligations not to violate public freedoms, including freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press, and to provide full protection for journalists and media professionals.
source/ GCHR