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| International-UN-NGOs |
| Reporters Without Borders welcomes release of Kurdish journalist |
| 2007-12-29 |
| Reporters Without Borders on Thursday welcomed the release of Faisal Abbas Ghazala, the correspondent of the satellite TV station Kolsat, after more than a month in detention in Mosul. Ghazala was released on December 21, but despite this the French organization called on the Kurdistan regional government "to show greater care and moderation in its measures affecting the news media" in the area. "Journalists are being subjected to more and more restrictions in Iraqi Kurdistan, which was until now regarded as a haven of peace and safety for the press," the organization said. "The regional government has used the recent clashes between the Turkish army and PKK rebels based in Iraq to restrict journalists movements and activities. The draft press law recently adopted by the Kurdish parliament would, if ratified by President Barzani, be a very retrograde step." The released Ghazala, 34, had been accused of terrorism and he had been held after unceremonious arrest at his home for a total of 31 days. Ghazala told Reporters Without Borders he did not understand why he had been targeted. "They entered my home with an arrest warrant without taking the trouble to send me a previous summons, to which I would have definitely responded," he said. While held, Ghazala was questioned by his coverage of bombings that had taken place in the region. The Reporters Organization remarked that the Kurdish regional government banned journalists from going to meet PKK rebels who have found refuge in the Qandil mountains on the border between Iraq and Turkey. The Euphrates News Agency (FHA) reported that Kurdish Prime Minister Nechervan Barzani met with media representatives a few days later and asked them not to publish articles "running counter to Turkish interests." On 11 December, the Kurdish national assembly voted a new draft law introducing heavy fines and prison sentences for press offences. The law has to be ratified by President Massoud Barzani in order to take effect. The president told representatives of the Kurdish Union of Journalist that he was going to reject the law and would ask parliament to amend it. But for the time being, nothing has been decided, the Organization indicated. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #1 TURKISH PRESS > THE FUTURE OF THE KURDS IS THE FUTURE OF THE ENTIRE MIDDLE EAST. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-12-29 00:16 |