12/8/2020
A Security Force of Asayish severely beated the staff of the Payam TV channel consisting of a reporter and two cameramen, and confiscated their equipment in Erbil on Wednesday morning.
Channel reporter Imran Amir said on a telephone conversation with the Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq that as soon as he arrived and the cameramen near the Mosque of Al-Sawaf in Erbil to cover the demonstration organized by the clerics to demand the opening of houses of worship and improve the poor economic situation in the region, and during live broadcast, a force of Asayishattacked the staff and prevented them from covering.
Amir said security elements seized their press equipment and ordered them to leave immediately.
Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq considers this a violation of the constitutionally guaranteed press and media rights, and expresses concern about its repetition during duty of media staffs.
The association also calls on the local government in the province to instruct its security forces to stop violating the freedom of journalistic work stipulated in the constitution, and to hold accountable those who abuse journalists in the performance of their journalistic duties.
