At the headquarters of the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate, the Board for the Defense of Freedom and Journalists’ Rights published its 34th report, which documents violations against journalists’ rights for the year 2025.
Azad Hamad Amin, Head of the Journalists Syndicate, Hendren Ahmed, Head of the Defense Board, Karwan Anwar, Simko Abdulkarim, and Goran Jalal, members of the Board, and Husamaddin Sardari, the legal advisor of the Syndicate, held a press conference at the Syndicate headquarters to announce the 34th report on violations and journalists’ rights for the year 2025, and presented the contents of the report.
The 34th report of the Defense Board includes in detail the violations in the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdish areas outside the administration of the Region, as well as violations by the federal government, the army, and the Popular Mobilization Forces against journalists. The total number recorded is 23 cases of violations against 45 journalists and 1 media institution. The most dangerous type was the shooting of a media worker in Sulaymaniyah, and the most common type of violation was preventing coverage of events.
At the press conference, it was stated that the Syndicate has changed the name of the Defense Committee to the Defense Board. It was also emphasized that journalists have the right, like any other government employee or profession, to be granted residential land plots. At the same time, the recorded violations report for the year 2026 was submitted, indicating that when the Kurdistan Parliament resumes its work, several laws need to be amended and some decisions issued to serve the profession of journalism and media freedom in Kurdistan.
