The UNESCO in Iraq held a dialogue workshop with journalists working in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, within the context of the Breaking the Silence Project to protect journalists funded by the Dutch Embassy in Iraq.

UNESCO discussed with Kurdish journalists the excessive government measures against journalists in the region, including the case of Sherwan Sherwani, who received a harsh court ruling after tweets he posted on his social media account, as well as other issues that threaten freedom of expression and the press in Kurdistan.

In the dialogue discussions, UNESCO focused on how to establish a special governmental committee in the Kurdistan region to answer the questions of the international community and the United Nations about indicators of the safety of journalists and the fight against impunity for those who target them.

The UNESCO representative for the freedom of expression sector, and the accompanying delegation of experts of the international organization of Iraqi journalists, stressed that the regional government should submit its reports in this regard, calling on journalists to include their demands and summarize the challenges they face in order to be consistent with the organization’s report on the level of government response.

The official responsible for freedom of expression programs at UNESCO, Dhia Sobhi, pointed out that these activities will continue for the next period of this year, hoping that this committee will be formed in the Kurdistan region, receive the necessary training and submit its first reports to the United Nations./ End

Source: National Iraqi News Agency