HEADLINES:

US State Dept documents arbitrary arrests of journalists, activists in Kurdistan Region

PM:07:58:21/03/2023

4688 View

+ -

SULAIMANI — The US Department of State said in its annual report released on Tuesday (March 21) that the Kurdistan Region’s security forces detained journalists, activists, and protesters randomly and without arrest warrants in 2022.

The State Department detailed in its report on Human Rights Practices that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Asayish (security) forces arrested "dozens of journalists, activists, and politicians” in August 2022 before and during protests in Sulaimani, Erbil and Duhok provinces.

The report also said KRG security forces detained two journalists from an NRT crew "without specific charges” while they were interviewing individuals about the Kurdistan Region’s political condition.

According to human rights organizations cited in the report, security forces in the Kurdistan Region "frequently ignored the law,” and have arrested people without warrants for a period of time and released some without charges, while others remained in custody "in detention pending review of other outstanding charges.”

The Human Rights Practices report included other violations committed by KRG security forces in 2022.

According to the report, the Kurdistan Judicial Council is affiliated and influenced by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) over political cases and rulings.

(NRT Digital Media)