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U.N. criticises Iraq's Kurdistan on press
freedom
25.4.2007 |
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April
25, 2007
BAGHDAD, - Journalists in Iraq's Kurdistan
face arrest and harassment for reporting on
government corruption and poor public services, the
United Nations said in a report on the autonomous
region.
The U.N. also criticised Kurdish officials for
failing to tackle frequent cases of "honour
killings" of women and said hundreds of detainees in
Kurdish prisons were held without charge.
Kurds promote Kurdistan as one corner of Iraq that
is relatively stable, in contrast to the rest of the
country that is engulfed in sectarian violence
between majority Shi'ites and minority Sunnis.
Drawing on that image, Kurdistan plans to build a
$400 million "media village" for international
organisations.
While most journalists' deaths in Iraq took place in
Baghdad, the human rights report on Iraq said most
arrests of journalists it recorded between January
and March were carried out by the Kurdish security
forces.
"The (Kurdish) authorities continued to subject
journalists to harassment, arrest and legal actions
for their reporting on government corruption, poor
public services or other issues of public interest,"
the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI)
said.
The report welcomed a recent review by the Kurdish
National Assembly of legislation on freedom of
expression and the launch of investigations into
several cases involving curbs on media freedom.
Women's rights to life and personal security
remained a "serious concern" in the Kurdish
provinces of Erbil, Dahuk and Sulaimaniyah given the
high incidence of "honour killings and other abuses
against women", UNAMI said.
"Between January and March, UNAMI received
information on some 40 cases of alleged honour
crimes ... where young women reportedly died from
'accidental burns' at their homes or were killed by
family members for suspected 'immoral' conduct."
It said it continually received reports about
domestic and communal violence which were largely
ignored by the Kurdish authorities.
The United Nations said it was also concerned about
arbitrary detentions by Kurdish authorities.
Hundreds of detainees have been held for long
periods without charge or without being referred to
an investigative judge, it said.
In some cases, detainees were arrested without
judicial warrants and all were routinely denied the
opportunity to challenge the lawfulness of their
detention.
The report said UNAMI had received allegations of
torture or ill-treatment of detainees at government
detention centres.
Reuters
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