30-year prison sentence for
criticising Kurdish regional president in Internet
articles
Family says cyber-dissident has been on hunger
strike for more than a week
Reporters Without Borders wrote on 5.January.2006 to
the president of the Kurdish regional government in
Kurdistan (northern Iraq), Massoud Barzani, asking
him to intervene in the case of an Austrian citizen
of Kurdish origin, Kamal Sayid Qadir, who was
sentenced to 30 years in prison on 19 December for
libelling him in articles posted on the Internet.
“This incident bodes ill for freedom of expression
in Iraq’s Kurdish region,” the press freedom
organisation wrote. “We condemn the use of prison
sentences to punish press offences and we are
especially shocked by the length of this sentence,
even if Qadir really did libel you. We therefore
hope you will intervene to obtain his release and
thereby show you intend to establish a fair judicial
system in your region that complies with
international standards.” |
Dr Kamal Said Qadir, Austrian citizen, an
international legal expert, writer and human rights
activist
Photo: DIHA |
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