Almost 250 violations have been registered against journalists in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region IKR in the last year, according to the Metro Center for the Protection of Journalists' Rights metro.org.
The figures were announced at a press conference in Sulaimaniyah on Tuesday January 17.
According to the statistics, the 249 violations were committed against 247 journalists, including 134 cases of obstruction and discrimination, 38 cases of confiscation of journalistic equipment, 37 cases of detention without a court order, 27 cases of attacks, threats and insults.
According to the statistics, five cases of illegal arrests were registered, in addition to four cyber-attacks, two cases of breaking journalistic equipment and two cases of raids of journalists' houes.
According to the statistics, violations have almost dropped to half compared to 2022, as 431 violations against 301 journalists and media institutions were recorded.
In 2021, according to the same center, there were 353 cases of violations against 260 journalists and media institutions.
The local and international organizations, human rights advocates members of the Iraqi and Kurdistan parliaments MPs continuously express their grave concern that the journalists and the freedom of expression and press are increasingly under threat all over Iraq including the IKR.
From April 2022 to the end of last March, 86 cases of violations were committed against journalists in both Erbil and Sulaymaniyah northern provinces, according to a report by the Democracy and Human Rights Development Centre (DHRD).
