31 Violations Against Journalists Recorded in Kurdistan Region Over Eight Months

PUKMEDIA

Hozan Qadir, President of RORD.

In the past eight months, 31 violations have been committed against journalists in the Kurdistan Region, the majority of which occurred in Erbil province, according to a local journalists rights advocacy organisation.

Speaking to PUKMEDIA, Hozan Qadir, President of the Reporters Organization for Rights & Development (RORD), reported that 14 violations against media outlets and 31 violations against individual journalists were documented during the past 8 months. He further noted that 9 journalists were hospitalised after being struck by tear gas while news coverage.

"In one incident, four media outlets were prevented from returning to Erbil after reporting on protests in Degala," he said. "They were only permitted to re-enter the city the following day after intervention with the relevant authorities."

Qadir added that so far this year, 15 cases of preventing coverage have been registered, while 11 journalists were arrested and later released on bail. He stressed that the highest number of violations were registered in Erbil, with the fewest in Halabja.

He further revealed that the KRG’s Department of Media and Information is responsible for most of these violations, accusing it of discrimination between media outlets by granting access to those close to themselves while marginalising others.



PUKMEDIA