Over 431 violations against journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2022: watchdog

SULAIMANI, Iraqi Kurdistan region,— More than 430 incidents of violations against journalists and media organizations occurred in Iraq’s Kurdistan region in 2022, the Metro Center for Journalists’ Rights and Advocacy announced on Monday.

The coordinator of the local watchdog, Rahman Gharib, said during a press conference in Sulaimani "Despite 32 years of governance by the two major parties in the Kurdistan region, journalists still face attacks and violations while carrying out their work,”.

According to Gharib, the report recorded 431 violations of press freedom against 301 media individuals or institutions that occurred last year.

The report listed 195 obstructions, 26 physical assaults, 64 arrests without court orders, one instance of shutting down a media office, 6 cyber-attacks, 3 home raids, 4 instances of verbal abuse, 2 rocket attacks,16 cases of forced agreement to undertakings, and 68 instances of confiscation and damage to journalists’ equipment as the violations.

Gharib stated that the majority of these violations were perpetrated by security forces.

A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) last week criticized the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) for using "ambiguously worded laws to target individuals for expressing criticism and opinions the government objects to,” citing the arrests of journalists and activists during anti-government protests in cities in Iraqi Kurdistan region.

353 violations against journalists and media were recorded in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2021

Despite the protection of freedom of expression and the press in laws and the constitution, journalists and media workers often face violence in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Iraqi Kurdistan is not a unified region, it is politically and geographically divided between the Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP led by the Barzani clan and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party led by the Talabani family. The Barzanis have control over Erbil and Duhok governorates while Sulaimani is controlled by the Talabanis.

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