Ruling party threat to press freedom in Iraqi Kurdistan
Reporters Without Borders11/08/2010
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which is headed by the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Massoud Barzani, has been waging a hate campaign for the past week against Lvin Magazine, accusing it of besmirching the memory of Barzani’s father, the late Kurdish nationalist leader Mullah Mostafa Barzani.
The KDP’s supporters are on the warpath and are threatening all sorts of terrible things if they do not get a public apology. The KDP has also brought a libel action against Rojname, an opposition weekly, over an article accusing the party of corruption.
“Both of these cases pose a very disturbing threat to press freedom in Iraqi Kurdistan,” Reporters Without Borders said. “There are many red lines that journalists must not try to cross, there are many subjects that are off-limits and Mostafa Barzani, an historic figure, is clearly one of them. We are extremely worried, especially by the death threats that have been made against Lvin’s journalists. Two journalists have already been murdered in the past two years.”
To see the press release, please click the link below:
Ruling party threat to press freedom in Iraqi Kurdistan
Reporters Without Borders11/08/2010 00:00:00
