Shafaq News- Erbil

A court order closed the offices of NRT TV in Erbil and Duhok on Wednesday, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw revealed.

In a press conference, Khoshnaw explained that the decision followed a public prosecution investigation into what he described as violations by the channel.

Authorities, he said, had previously warned NRT before the public prosecutor compiled a legal case, leading the Erbil court to order the closure of the channel’s offices in Erbil, Al-Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok. The decision was based on an assessment involving the public prosecution, the court, the Ministry of Culture, and the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate.

No staff were detained or questioned upon closure, the governor affirmed. It remains unclear whether NRT will appeal the ruling or when its offices could reopen.

In 2020, the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Culture suspended the channel, citing alleged professional violations. NRT denied the accusations at the time, saying the decision was "politically motivated."

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