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February 05, 2025 -Iraq –
Kurdish journalist Bashdar Bazyani was arrested in Al-Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, after being summoned to the Sarchnar Police Station. Following interrogation, he was transferred to the Criminal Court, where a detention order was issued until February 9. Despite efforts by fellow journalists Sardasht Hama Salih and Dana Salih to visit him, access was reportedly denied. The Metro Center for the Defense of Journalists’ Rights has called for Bazyani’s immediate release on bail, emphasizing the need to handle journalistic cases under the Press Law and to avoid applying alternative laws to journalists concerning their media work and freedom of expression.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of legal challenges faced by Bazyani. In 2022, he was sentenced to ten days in detention following lawsuits filed against him by the mayor of the province and an investor over his coverage of a corruption case involving the sale of public land. A year later, his home was raided by Al-Sulaymaniyah Police, leading to a ten-hour detention and prolonged interrogation over a lawsuit filed by Ali Babir, leader of the Kurdistan Islamic Justice Group, after Bazyani reported on corruption allegations involving the movement’s political office leadership. In 2024, Bazyani revealed that he had three outstanding arrest warrants and was being pursued by the police and courts without proper adherence to the Region’s journalism laws.
The Kurdistan Journalists’ Syndicate (KJS) has condemned Bazyani’s arrest, stating that it was carried out without prior notice or a judicial warrant, constituting a breach of Kurdistan’s journalism law. The Syndicate also criticized authorities for denying Bazyani’s family visitation rights, describing the move as a clear legal violation that undermines freedom of expression and press rights. The statement called for Bazyani’s immediate release and urged authorities to ensure that his case is not misrepresented or politically manipulated.
These developments underscore ongoing concerns about press freedom and the treatment of journalists in the Kurdistan Region, highlighting the need for adherence to legal frameworks that protect media professionals.
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