SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Culture and Youth said on Monday that broadcast of NRT channel had been halted for one week due to “irresponsible behavior”.
Security forces in Sulaimani closed the channel, owned by New Generation Leader Shaswar Abdulwahid, early on Monday, according to the channel’s website.
“At 2:20 a.m., a unit of security forces raided the main headquarters of NRT channel in Sulaimani city, and halted the channel’s broadcast,” NRT said on its website.
“The force padlocked the channel and deployed forces outside, damaging some equipment and seizing other items,” it added.
The Ministry of Culture and Youth said in a statement that all broadcasts of NRT channel had been halted for one week.
“We have decided to halt the normal broadcast of NRT channel for one week due to a lack of commitment to instructions … in particular its irresponsible behavior currently, which is away from law and logistic and against Article 3 of instruction to organize space frequency in the Kurdistan Region, and calling the security forces as militias, despite of being warned several times,” the ministry said.
The channel’s closure comes amid protests over salary delays in Sulaimani province. NRT has claimed its reporters were detained and equipment was seized while covering protests in the province in the last few days.
