The Metro Center for Journalists’ Rights and Advocacy
SULAIMANI, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— The Metro Center for Journalists’ Rights and Advocacy has called on Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government KRG security forces to respect the rights of media to cover events and recognize the people’s right to peaceful civil defense against hostile powers, after authorities shut down some offices and arrested journalists while they were reporting on anti-Turkey protests in Shiladze last week.
In a statement on Monday Sulaimani-based Metro Centre said it was concerned about raids on media offices in Duhok and Sulaimani and called on security forces to “protect the lives of protesters and journalists and not confiscate people’s right of civil defence against invasion and journalists’ right to report.”
The Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP authorities in Duhok arrested NRT TV’s team reporting on protests in Shiladze and closed the office of NRT in the city on Saturday. All staff have since been released, according to the media outlet. Their office was still closed as of Monday, pending a judge authorizing its reopening.
“Article 51 of the Declaration of the United Nations allows nations to resist armed invasions during times of attack and armed invasion,” the statement read.
“Preventing civil action to resist occupations and massacres is against UN agreements and is against the principles of the Kurdistan nation’s free revolution.”
The Metro Center statement stressed that the Kurdistan Regional Government should not curb civil and peaceful activities, so as to avoid popular backlash.
The media watchdog also voiced its concern that most of the satellite channels in Iraqi Kurdistan Region did not address the closure of NRT’s office in Duhok on their air last night.
Civil society groups condemned the closure, including the Iraqi National Syndicate for Journalists, the Kurdish Media Watchdog Organization, and the Committee for Defending Journalist Liberty and Rights of the Kurdistan Journalists’ Syndicate.
On Saturday evening, the security forces arrested an NRT TV team while they were filming in front of Duhok Emergency Hospital in order to report on the condition of injured protesters who were being transferred there.
Last Saturday, Kurdish protesters stormed a Turkish army position in the Shiladzeh region of Iraqi Kurdistan region to protest the deaths of four civilians they said were killed last week in Turkish bombardment. Turkey frequently carries out airstrikes and land incursions against alleged PKK positions in the Kurdistan Region’s mountains.
One protester killed by Turkish army and at least ten were injured.
Locals, angry about the civilian deaths and damage to their farmlands, villages, and forests from the bombardments, stormed a Turkish military base in Duhok province burning Turkish military vehicles.
Metro called for all protesters who had been arrested on charges of vandalism to be released and for media to remain neutral in their coverage.
International media advocates note with concern the “politicized environment” for journalists working in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
In Iraq, “media are regarded above all as political tools,” says Reporters Without Borders.
Read more about Human rights, freedom of Expression and Journalism in Iraqi Kurdistan
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