Security forces of Erbil, capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, committed a series of violations against journalists and media outlets while covering the demonstrations of teachers and employees in the "Degala" area.
The most prominent violations included verbal insults, use of tear gas, raiding the offices of media channels, and confiscation of journalists' equipment.
The violations occurred when demonstrators, mostly teachers, from Sulaymaniyah attempted to cross the Degala checkpoint to deliver their demands to the United Nations office in Erbil but were prevented from passing.
Dozens of journalists and media channels were then prevented from covering the event, and journalists were subjected to numerous violations.
Nabaz Rashad, a reporter for the Bwar News Agency, who was at the checkpoint to cover the demonstration, stated, “The security personnel prevented us from covering the event, insulted us, and used tear gas to disperse the journalists and demonstrators.”
“I was hit with tear gas along with the cameraman, and we were unable to continue covering the event. My cameraman’s health deteriorated, and he fell to the ground... They then attempted to confiscate our journalistic equipment while we were broadcasting live. We had to flee,” Nabaz added. “They confiscated the equipment and phones of four media channels in front of us.”
They then attempted to confiscate our journalistic equipment while we were broadcasting live. We had to flee
The Bwar News team and several other Erbil journalists were unable to return to Erbil and had to stay in Sulaymaniyah overnight. Bwar is a media agency dedicated to news, information and commentary, Bwar News says.
Local and international media outlets and organizations, advocates and lawmakers express their grave concern that that press freedom is increasingly under threat in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq KRI.
The Metro Center for Journalists Rights and Advocacy reported 182 cases of violations against journalists and media channels in the KRI, including 24 cases of journalists arrested without court warrant, compared to 249 violations in 2023.
Shahen Wahab, a reporter for the Khandan Foundation, and her photographer, Garmian Omar, were among the journalists who faced violations, including being prevented from covering the event and having their equipment and phones confiscated.
“When security forces used tear gas, we were among the demonstrators, so the gas affected us as well,” Wahab said.
“They took my mobile phone and my photographer's phone, as well as our journalistic equipment... We tried many times to retrieve them, but were unsuccessful.”
As the demonstration began, a security force, identified as Asayish (Kurdistan Region Security) in civilian clothes, raided the office of KNN TV in Erbil, affiliated with the Gorran (Change) Movement, which is one of the parties of the Kurdistan Regional Government KRG.
The Gorran Media Foundation stated, “After confiscating the cameras and phones of our team, they took their car keys and annual registration documents, and erased some photos and video clips recorded on their phones before leaving the office.”
Teachers from Sulaymaniyah Northern Province marched to Erbil on Tuesday February 9, despite the tight security checkpoints and violations, in order to convey their voices to Erbil after two months of boycotting classes, which deprived 600,000 students of education, yet the KRG did not respond.
Teachers in tens of buses arrived in Koya district early in the morning, planning to head to Erbil to protest in front of the United Nations headquarters against the non-payment of their monthly salaries by the KRG and the Iraqi Government.
The Payam TV channel, affiliated with the Kurdistan Justice Party, Iraq, reported that their broadcast was disrupted, and one of the channel's correspondents and accompanying photographer were affected by tear gas while covering the demonstrations.
The Politic Press Media Foundation team, consisting of a reporter and a photographer, were assaulted by security forces, and their journalistic equipment was confiscated.
According to the Iraqi Journalists’ Rights Law and the Kurdistan Region Journalism Law, journalists are free to practice their duties.
The first paragraph of Article 7 of the Kurdistan Region Journalism Law of 2007 states that “a journalist is independent and is not subject to any authority other than the law in performing his professional work.”
The fourth paragraph of the same article states that “a journalist has the right to attend conferences and other public events.”
According to the applicable laws, a journalist has the right to file a lawsuit against any individuals or entities that commit violations against them.
Security forces at the Degala checkpoint prevented a group of Erbil journalists from returning home, including Nabaz Rashad and his photographer at the Bwar News. The Speda TV channel, associated with the Kurdistan Islamic Union KURIU, reported that their correspondent Najeh Jamal was affected by tear gas and could not continue media coverage.
