Peregraf
A specialized court has been designated in Sulaymaniyah to handle cases involving journalists, in accordance with Journalism Law No. 35 of 2007. This initiative has been well-received by media professionals.
Judge Omar Ahmad, the President of the Sulaymaniyah District Court of Appeal, has issued two important rulings related to journalist cases. First, the Sulaymaniyah Court of Investigation/1 will oversee all complaints concerning journalists, thereby ensuring the implementation of the Journalism Law. Second, after the investigation phase, these cases will be sent to the Sulaymaniyah Court of Appeal/6 for resolution.
Although the Journalism Law explicitly states that journalists should not be arrested or imprisoned for their professional activities, some courts in Kurdistan continue to bypass this law by applying alternative legal provisions that impose harsher penalties on journalists. This situation has raised concerns among journalists and both local and international organizations regarding the state of press freedom and the legal protections afforded to media professionals.