Journalist Bazyani held in Al-Sulaymaniyah, rights center urges release

Shafaq News/ Authorities in Al-Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, arrested Kurdish journalist Bashdar Bazyani, the Metro Center for the defense of journalists' rights announced on Wednesday.

"This afternoon, journalist Bazyani was informed to visit the Sarchnar Police Station in Al-Sulaymaniyah, where he was interrogated and then transferred to the Criminal Court. A court order was issued for his detention until February 9,” the center stated.

Journalists Sardasht Hama Salih and Dana Salih went to the detention center to visit their detained colleague but were reportedly denied access.

The rights center called for the immediate release of Bazyani on bail, stressing the need to “handle journalistic cases under the Press Law and avoid applying alternative laws to journalists concerning their media work and freedom of expression.”

In 2022, Al-Sulaymaniyah Investigation Court sentenced Bazyani to ten days in detention after two lawsuits were filed against him by the mayor of the province and an investor over his coverage of a corruption case involving the sale of public land.

A year later, Al-Sulaymaniyah Police raided Bazyani's home, detaining him for about 10 hours. The journalist confirmed undergoing prolonged interrogation over a lawsuit filed by Ali Babir, leader of the Kurdistan Islamic Justice Group, after he reported on corruption allegations involving the movement's political office leadership.

The journalist further revealed in 2024 that he had three outstanding arrest warrants and was being pursued by the police and courts “without proper adherence to the Region’s journalism laws.”