Draw Media, Kurdistan 24

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani held a candid discussion about freedom of the press with journalists from numerous media establishments in the Kurdistan Region on Monday.

Barzani and the Kurdish journalists spent over three hours discussing a wide range of topics related to corruption, freedom of the press and speech, the reform process, Erbil-Baghdad relations, and relations between the media and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Freedom of press, Kurdish media landscape

“Journalism is a sacred mission,” Prime Minister Barzani told the journalists at the beginning of their lengthy discussion, adding that he is a firm believer in free expression and press freedom in the Kurdistan Region.

Later in the discussion, Barzani opened the floor for journalists to ask questions and share their views on the state of affairs in the Kurdistan Region.

One issue repeatedly raised by multiple journalists was restrictions on press freedom. They said that the freedom of the press is “receding,” with people even facing jail time for “writing a comment”.

Harassment of journalists or their family members was also mentioned by a member of the press, who said his wife had been one of the victims.

Barzani explained that there is a distinction between a journalist doing their job and defamation, stressing that the latter cannot be tolerated as people’s reputations and rights are at stake.

Barzani said, “one person’s freedom ends when another’s begins,” and stressed that a person’s right to free expression does not permit them to defame others.

The prime minister denied that he owns any “unofficial media” or has attacked anyone personally through such platforms, as one journalist alleged in the discussion.

Public discontent

Another issue discussed was public discontent in the Kurdistan Region with the government and political process. A number of the attending journalists acknowledged the “negative atmosphere” in the media regarding people’s grievances over the day-to-day issues they face regarding the delivery of basic services.

While acknowledging the issues the Kurdistan Region faces, Barzani charged that some of the media organizations had played a role in making people “disappointed” not only with the government but the Kurdistan Region itself, which negatively affected their sense of patriotism toward their homeland.

“Loving the homeland should not be equated with endorsing the government,” he said.

KRG Reforms

The KRG’s ongoing reform process was also discussed, with some journalists expressing discontent with its progress.

Mohammad of Rauf the editor-in-chief of Draw Media mentioned that the margin of freedom of the press has declined significantly in this cabinet, especially we were worried about the case of the Badinan journalists. The arrest of Sherwan Sherwani and his friends, who are still in jail, made us uncomfortable and unsecure about our journalistic works.  He added that corruption has increased and smuggling is openly carried out at the borders and no corrupt officials have faced arrest.

Barzani responded by saying his cabinet’s fight against corruption is about reforming the system to make it resilient against corrupt practices rather than focusing on putting corrupt officials on trial.

If the system is not reformed, it would be prone to such malign practices, he argued, adding that his reform program will take time to bear results.