Freedom of information case against Kurdistan Region president, KRG prime minister postponed: judge

Peregraf 

The fourth hearing for freedom of information lawsuits filed by Peregraf’s editor-in-chief against President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani was held in Erbil on Wednesday (November 16).

Surkew Mohammed, Peregraf’s Editor-in-Chief filed the complaints in order to test procedures under the Kurdistan Region’s Right to Obtain Information Act (No. 11, 2013) and ensure transparency in public affairs.

Earlier this year, Mohammed made a formal request through Sulaymaniyah’s notary office seeking information about how the offices of the president and prime minister had spent public funds.

A similar request was sent to the office of Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament Rewaz Fayaq.

When the trio failed to respond to the requests, Mohammed resorted to court action.

In June 2022, Mohammed made a formal request through Sulaymaniyah’s notary office seeking information about how the offices of the president and the prime minister had spent public funds.

At the request of their lawyers, the legal paperwork of Nechirvan Barzani and Masrour Barzani were transferred to Erbil from Sulaymaniyah. At Wednesday’s hearing in Erbil, the judge ordered a postponement in both cases until December 4, due to a delay in a legal notice letter to Erbil from Sulaymaniyah, where the original case was filed.