On the occasion of Press Freedom Day, Metro Center calls on the media to become a platform for constructive democratic dialogue, not chaos, and to play their role in building a future for Kurdistan where peace prevails.

This year's World Press Freedom Day conference will be held under the theme "Shaping a Future at Peace: Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights”, which will be held in Lusaka, Zambia. The conference provides an important opportunity to reiterate the fact that freedom of expression is a practical criterion for shaping the future of the information society.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the slogan "Shaping a Future at Peace: Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights” shows that the duty of free and independent media is not only to transmit news. Rather, it is a powerful tool for promoting a culture of dialogue and building bridges of understanding between nations.

This year, as we welcome World Journalism Day, according to Reporters Without Borders, Iraq is at the lowest ranking and has dropped seven places and the Kurdistan Region does not fully implement the journalism law, two journalists are in prison, last year, 315 violations were recorded against 252 journalists and media outlets, including the closure of Zoom Tv in Sulaymaniyah and NRT in Erbil and Duhok. Violations, harassment, intimidation of journalists, prevention of coverage and attacks on field journalists continue. Political money dominates the journalistic scene and is used for futile political warfare.

May 3rd, World Press Freedom Day, provides an opportunity to discuss issues of journalism and professional ethics, as well as the challenges facing journalists, assess the situation of press freedom at the national level, discuss the flow of misleading and inaccurate information and manipulation of information, and present solutions and recommendations. And discuss social media platforms, artificial intelligence applications, opportunities and barriers.

Metro Center requests:

• The re-investigation of the cases of martyr journalists, which are still considered open cases by Metro Center and their families, with the aim of restoring the rights to the rightful owners.

• Amnesty and release of the two journalists Sherwan Sherwani and Qareman Shukri.

• Implementation of Law No. (35) of 2007, Journalism Law, Law No. (11) of 2010, Law on Organizing Demonstrations, Law No. (11) of 2013, Right to Access Information Law.

• Issue guidelines to facilitate the implementation of the Access to Information Act and suspend all orders and instructions of the offices that are illegal obstacles to freedom of information.

• Detention orders for journalists, writers, and critics in publication-related cases should cease, and those detained should be released on bail guaranteed by their media agencies.

• Fighting false and misleading news should not be used as an excuse for repression, and defamation cases should be the responsibility of police stations, not the security forces, as is the case now.

• Consider media pluralism in providing information and attending public activities of the government, the prime minister, deputy prime minister and ministers.

• End the phenomenon of checking journalists' mobile phones, except in very rare cases by written order of a judge.