SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Diplomats from four European countries met with the Kurdistan Region’s Independent Commission for Human Rights on Sunday to discuss the case of journalists and activists imprisoned in Erbil.
The commission said in a statement that diplomats from German, French, British and Dutch consulates in Erbil held a meeting with head of the independent commission for human rights Zya Pitros on Sunday.
The diplomats asked the commission questions about freedom of expression, the work of media and journalists and the rule of law in the Kurdistan Region.
They also asked for information about the case of journalists and activists who were sentenced to jail by a court in Erbil last week, according to the statement.
“Our for consulates [from Germany, France, Britain and the Netherlands] met with Independent Human Rights Commission to discuss the trials against journalists and wider issues of freedom of the press and expression in KRI,” Deputy Consul General of Britain in Erbil Melanie Smart said in a tweet.
On February 16, a court in Erbil sentenced journalists Sherwan Sherwani, Guhdar Zebrai and Ayaz Karam as well as activists Shvan Omer and Hariwan Issa to six years each in jail on national security charges.
The Kurdish security forces arrested the five in Duhok province last autumn over allegedly undermining national security in the region.
Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani urged everybody on February 19 to respect the judiciary system in the Region, as criticism grows over the sentencing of the journalists.
Barzani’s tweet came shortly after the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said it had followed “closely” the recent detentions of journalists and activists as well as their trail in the Kurdistan Region.
“The U.S. has consistently engaged on the issue of freedom expression, including for members of the press, with KRG officials and will continue to do so,” the U.S. embassy tweeted.
“Democratic societies respect freedom and expression and support the ability of press members to report without fear of retaliation,” it said.
The day before, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said he was following the case closely, reiterating his support for the rule of law, independence of the courts and human rights principles.
“The February 16th court sentencing of a number of detainees has stirred public concern,” Barzani said in a statement on Thursday.
“In accordance with the law, the defendants have the right to appeal the decision, and the Court of Appeal is obligated to review the decision in a way that upholds the legal and human rights of the defendants and the plaintiffs,” he added.
On February 10, the prime minister accused some of the detainees of being spies and planning to assassinate and blow up diplomatic missions in the Region.
“Those who were detained are not journalists and activists. Some of them were spies of countries and some others attempted to explode buildings and places of foreigners in the Region,” Barzani said in a press conference, referring to diplomatic missions in the Region.
KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani said the case of the detainees was a “legal case, but it has created doubts with people and that will stain the name and reputation of the Kurdistan Region”.
“I call on the general prosecutor to play its role and for an accurate decision to be made by the court of appeals, where the rule of law, freedom, and democracy are preserved,” Talabani said.
On Feb. 10, the Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to release the journalists.
“Today’s sentencing of journalists Sherwan Amin Sherwani and Guhdar Zebari is not only unfair and disproportionate, but it also proves that the Iraqi Kurdistan regional government has finally dropped the pretense of caring about press freedom,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Representative Ignacio Miguel Delgado.
“Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq should immediately release both journalists, drop the charges against them, and cease harassing the media.”
