KurdishMedia.com
29/07/2010
Kurdishmedia.com and its founder and director, Dr Rebwar Fatah, have today settled the libel dispute brought against them by Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed by accepting liability and apologising to Ms Ahmed.
Ms Ahmed, the head of the UK office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan ("PUK"), sued for libel in respect of an article published by KurdishMedia.com on 18 February 2009 headed "PUK accused of attempted murder: London UK". The article repeated a false allegation that the London office of the PUK had attempted to have a RAG supporter murdered in the British town of Bolton.
Kurdishmedia.com and Dr Fatah have accepted that there is no truth whatsoever in this allegation and that the article should not have been published. The full text of the statement made in court is [http://www.kurdmedia.com/article.aspx?id=16413].
KurdishMedia.com and Dr Fatah have also agreed to make a substantial payment to a charity of Ms Ahmed's choice.
Ms Ahmed's solicitor made it clear to the court that it was never Ms Ahmed's intention to stop KurdishMedia.com and others from expressing their views and criticising the PUK. She sued in order to vindicate her reputation in respect of what KurdishMedia.com accepts was a serious and false allegation.
