7/5/2023
Members of the Asayish forces detained Karim Keifi, correspondent of “NRT” channel while he wason duty coverage in the Harir area of Shaqlawa district in Erbil. The forces took him for interrogation at a security center, on Sunday afternoon.
After his release, the reporter spoke to the Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq, about the details of his detention, indicating that he was on special coverage in the Harir area, to reveal the reasons for the suspension of the district police director, after the issuance of a series of orders from the authorities in the Kurdistan region to change government positions. During direct coverage, members of the Asayish stormed the filming site, and arrested him.
The force seized his personal phone and all the channel’s equipment, he said, adding that they released him after more than an hour of detention; he was forced to pledge not to return to the area and film there.
The Association condemns the detention of the reporter, and expresses its concern about the continued prosecution and arrest of journalists where they are prevented from performing their duties, and considers it a flagrant violation of the freedom of journalistic work that is clearly stipulated in the constitution.
It is noteworthy that “Erbil” has witnessed 74 violations recorded in the past 12 months, at a time when the authorities in Kurdistan insist on violating the constitution, by infringing media freedom, and overpowering its workers, using various methods and means taken by intolerant and dictatorial regimes.
