U.S. consulate general in Erbil announced that they welcome the KRG Ministry of Culture’s decision to cancel media directive No. 1, 2023 passed in May 2023, which would have introduced new security vetting requirements for online journalists which the U.S. consulate said that they believe “it would have chilled media freedom.”
The U.S. consulate in Erbil also said: This decision to cancel the directive reflects the KRG’s responsiveness to concerns raised by the international community as well as local efforts to improve media freedoms. We are committed to working with our local and international partners to continue to improve and promote media freedom and responsible media.