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The Kurdish Association of Journalists (KAJ)
Call for release of Kurdish writer
12.1.2006
UN humanitarian news and information service
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BAGHDAD, 12 Jan 2006 (IRIN) - The Kurdish
Association of Journalists (KAJ) has continued to
express concern over the imprisonment of a writer
accused of committing libel against the Kurdish
authorities in Kurdistan (northern Iraq) and
sentenced last month to 30 years in jail.
“The jail term is the longest ever heard of by our
association and greatly affects our work as
journalists and editors by making it difficult to
write freely,” said KAJ spokesman Dirar Hayet.
Kamal Qadir, an Austrian citizen of Kurdish origin,
was found guilty on 19 December for libelling the
president of the Kurdistan Regional Government in
northern Iraq, Massoud Barzani, in articles posted
on the Internet. |
Dr Kamal Said Qadir, Austrian citizen, an
international legal expert, writer and human rights
activist
Photo: DIHA |
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Officials defended the move, saying that press
freedom was respected in the Kurdish north, but that
Qadir had been punished for attempting to tarnish
the image of the president.
“Kurdistan has been the most democratic place in
Iraq, and we can’t blame it for lost freedoms,” said
a senior Kurdish official, Ahmed Kindar. He went on
to call Qadir’s crimes “an exceptional case of
defamation against the government.”
According to a statement issued by Kurdish
authorities, "The Kurdish regional government
affirms that the principles of human rights and
freedom of expression continue to be respected,
promoted and guaranteed for all persons throughout
the region of Kurdistan."
Press freedoms watchdog Reporters without Borders (RWB),
however, has disputed this claim, saying that the
stiff sentence represented a violation of basic
press freedoms.
“We find it hard to believe that Iraq's Kurdish
authorities can say this after just sentencing a
lawyer to 30 years in prison for defamation,” the
organisation noted in a statement.
“Only extremely repressive countries have recourse
to such heavy sentences for so-called crimes of
opinion."
RWB went on to appeal to the Kurdish government for
the release of Qadir and a review of his case.
According to Hayet, Kurdish journalists are
regularly subject to pressure from the government
and often prevented from publishing certain
material.
“It’s easy to speak about freedom and democracy, but
in practice it’s very different, and this case shows
the reality,” he said. “We call on all journalistic
organisations worldwide to intervene in this case
and help change the laws here.”
Hayet added: “We ask the Kurdish government to
review its sentencing of the journalist and prove
the existence of freedom in Kurdistan ( northern
Iraq)”
IRIN: UN humanitarian news and information service
www.irinnews.org
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