45+ press violations recorded across Kurdistan Region in 2025

Shafaq News- Erbil

Violations against journalists in the Kurdistan Region dropped significantly in 2025, with 46 incidents documented, the Kurdistan Journalists’ Union said on Monday.

At a press conference, Union Deputy Head Hindrin Ahmed outlined that of the 46 violations, 23 incidents affected 45 journalists and one media organization. Most cases involved restrictions on reporting, although one serious incident included gunfire targeting a journalist. Other violations encompassed detention, bans on fieldwork, assault, insult, threats, seizure of equipment, and the closure of media outlets.

Pointing out that only one female journalist was affected, Ahmed added that the number of violations has steadily declined over the past three years, dropping from 84 in 2023 to 73 in 2024, before reaching the lowest level in 2025.

The Union's figures stand in contrast to a recent report by the Metro Center for Journalists' Rights, which documented a near doubling of violations in 2025, reaching 315 cases.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has not yet released official data on violations against journalists in 2026.

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