Journalist Released on Bail After Appeals to President Barzani

October 27, 2025 – Kurdistan/Iraq- 

Shwan Adel, the director of NRT Channel, was released on bail in Erbil following a wave of appeals and public pressure directed at the Kurdistan Region’s leadership. His detention earlier in the day had sparked swift reactions from media rights groups, journalists, and civil society, who urged authorities to respect legal protections for press freedom. Adel’s arrest stemmed from a 15-day detention order issued by a court in Shaqlawa, although no official explanation for the decision was made public.

Calls for his immediate release intensified after the Metro Center for Journalists’ Rights formally appealed to President Nechirvan Barzani, asking that the case be handled under the Kurdistan Journalism Law rather than through ordinary criminal proceedings. According to statements from the Metro Center, the presidential office responded positively, signaling that steps were being taken to secure Adel’s release on bail. The legal process was expedited following these interventions, underscoring the impact of public pressure on the outcome of the case.

Adel’s detention drew broader attention because it reflected a recurring tension in the Kurdistan Region between the existence of relatively advanced media laws and their inconsistent enforcement. Rights groups have frequently noted that, on paper, the region’s legislation on press freedom, access to information, freedom of assembly, and gender-based violence is more progressive than in the rest of Iraq. However, journalists continue to face legal harassment, arbitrary detentions, and politically motivated charges that undermine these legal guarantees.

His case also follows the August 2025 arrest of NRT owner and political leader Shaswar Abdulwahid, who received a five-month prison sentence over an unresolved judicial case in Al-Sulaymaniyah. That incident, too, raised concerns about the use of legal mechanisms to exert pressure on independent media outlets critical of the government.

While official data shows a decline in assaults against journalists in the Kurdistan Region—182 recorded incidents involving 176 journalists and outlets in 2024, down 22 percent from the previous year—media watchdogs argue that press freedom remains fragile. Adel’s release on bail is seen as a short-term relief but also a reminder of the ongoing gap between legal frameworks and real-world protections for journalists.

Reference – 

https://shafaq.com/en/Kurdistan/After-calls-to-President-Barzani-Journalist-freed-on-bail-in-Kurdistan