The Kurdistan Media Workers Collective (Kolektîfa Medyakarên Kurdistanê–KMK) issued a statement on the occasion of April 22 Kurdish Journalism Day.
The Collective stated that journalists still face pressure, death threats, and the risk of prosecution due to their journalistic activities in all four parts of Kurdistan, and are forced to go abroad because of these threats to their safety.
The statement continued as follows: “Journalists Şerwan Şerwanî and Qehreman Şukrî Zeynedîn are in prison as political detainees for criticizing the government. The families of martyred journalists are still waiting for the perpetrators to be brought to justice despite the passing of several years. The policy of impunity toward the killers of journalists is not only seen at the level of political administration in South Kurdistan (North Iraq), but is also evident in a country like Turkey, which has killed four journalists in the Kurdistan Region.
In Rojava, around 20 journalists have fallen as martyrs in the war against terrorists and the Turkish occupation. After the collapse of the Assad regime and the attacks by extremist groups against Rojava, hate speech has intensified through journalists broadcasting under the Syrian transitional government, censorship against freedom of expression has increased, and there have been no initiatives for positive legal regulations that would guarantee journalists’ rights.
In Rojhilat (East Kurdistan, Iran), journalists face increasing repression and the threat of execution. For this reason, fleeing and self-censorship are considered options for journalists to remain safe.
Despite the peace process, the Turkish state continues to spread hate and violent rhetoric against Kurds and to increase obstacles to free journalism.
In such a dangerous situation, courts are used as tools of revenge against journalists in Kurdistan, freedom of expression is under serious threat, and due to the concealment of information by authorities, as well as pressure, threats and censorship, pressure for self-censorship and propaganda has also increased. Citizens are deprived of their right to access accurate and truthful information.
Therefore, press freedom in all four parts of Kurdistan must be seen as a strategic goal at the national level, as democracy cannot be spoken of without a free media.
We celebrate Kurdish Journalism Day for all honest, courageous, and freedom-loving journalists in Kurdistan, and we demand the release of all imprisoned journalists and the punishment of all perpetrators whose hands are stained with the blood of journalists.”
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