Journalism is a cornerstone of democracy. Journalists Sherwan Sherwani and Guhdar Zebari have been imprisoned in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since 2020 following a trial marred by serious irregularities. The continued detention and new charges against these journalists highlight a disturbing trend towards the suppression of free speech and a crushing blow to media freedom in the region.

Sherwani was due to be released on September 9, yet instead, was sentenced to an additional four years on July 20 in a shocking turn of events that echoes broader patterns of injustice in the Kurdistan Region. Similarly, Zebari, scheduled for release on August 16, faced additional charges on the very day he expected freedom.

The judicial system must uphold justice and protect the fundamental rights of individuals, including the right to free expression and a fair trial. The unfair treatment of these journalists is a grave injustice not only against them but against humanity's collective right to truth through unbiased reporting.

We urge the Kurdistan Regional Government and international human rights organizations to intervene and ensure their immediate release. These men should be free to return to their essential work of journalism, contributing to a free press and the crucial checks it provides against power.

He was sentenced to six years in prison in early 2021 on charges of allegedly endangering national security after covering protests over unpaid wages in the Kurdistan Region.

Watchdog groups say Sherwani was targeted for his criticism of Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and his investigative reports linking Barzani to the alleged killings of journalists and human rights activists in Iraqi Kurdistan.

His legal team had been seeking his release since last week, but a judge ruled against it, forcing him to remain imprisoned, attorney Ramazan Artisi told reporters.

“We have been trying to secure his release since last Sunday, but today the judge refused,” Artisi said. “He must remain in prison for another six months.”

Sherwani, originally sentenced in February 2021, had his term reduced by half in 2022 under a decree by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani. However, in July 2023, an Erbil court added four more years to his sentence on charges of falsifying a legal document. Another presidential decree later cut that extension to two years.

In 2020, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Geneva-based MENA Rights Group (MRG) called on UN human rights experts to take all necessary steps to secure the immediate and unconditional release of Sherwan Sherwani.

The imprisonment of Sherwani and other so-called “Badinan detainees,” named after the region in Duhok province where they were arrested, has drawn international criticism.

Diplomats, press freedom organizations, and human rights advocates have accused Kurdish authorities of suppressing dissent and violating legal procedures, allegations the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has denied.

Amnesty International has condemned Sherwani’s conviction, calling it politically motivated and based on “bogus charges of espionage and sharing information with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).” The group has also cited serious concerns about due process violations, including allegations of torture, restricted access to legal counsel, and reliance on forced confessions.

The Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT), a civil society organization monitoring the trials in Duhok, criticized the judiciary’s handling of the case, saying political interference in the courts undermines the region’s claims of press freedom.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on Kurdish authorities in Iraq to immediately release journalist Sherwan Sherwani, drop all charges against him, and uphold press freedom by allowing journalists to work without restrictions.

Press rights groups have long accused Kurdish authorities of targeting journalists. Metro Center for Journalists' Rights and Advocacy reported 182 press freedom violations in 2024, down from 231 the previous year.

Please show your support by signing this petition. Stand in solidarity with Sherwani and Zebari, advocate for justice, and help restore freedom to the press in Iraqi Kurdistan. Your voice is powerful—let it be heard.

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List of links that cover's this case:

https://x.com/KurdistanWatch/status/1864612978470916422
https://culturico.com/2023/09/12/pen-behind-bars-a-letter-to-the-relentless-spirit-of-my-friend-sherwan-sherwani-in-prison/
https://rsf.org/en/iraqi-kurdistan-rsf-calls-release-investigative-journalists-bashdar-bazyani-and-sherwan-sherwani
https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/two-months-his-release-date-sherwan-sherwani-sentenced-additional-four-years-prison
https://punchng.com/jailed-kurdish-journalist-given-more-prison-time-in-iraq-says-lawyer/
https://en.964media.com/39349/
https://menarights.org/en/caseprofile/journalist-sherwan-sherwani-arbitrarily-detained-his-media-coverage-kurdistan
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde14/7138/2023/en/
https://hawarnews.com/en/kurdish-journalist-sentenced-to-prison-again-days-before-his-scheduled-release
https://cpj.org/2023/07/imprisoned-journalist-sherwan-sherwani-given-additional-4-year-sentence-in-iraqi-kurdistan/
https://theinsightinternational.com/un-experts-asked-press-2020-12-02
https://theinsightinternational.com/cpj-calls-iraqi-kurdistan-2019-02-21
https://theinsightinternational.com/kurdish-journalist-gets-additional-2023-07-21
https://theinsightinternational.com/iraqi-kurdistan-government-urged-2020-10-09
https://theinsightinternational.com/kurdish-journalist-sherwanis-2025-03-16
https://theinsightinternational.com/un-experts-asked-press-2020-12-02