The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Saturday released journalist Guhdar Zebari, who had been imprisoned for over three years following his participation in anti-government protests in Duhok.
Zebari was arrested in October 2020 along with more than 80 other journalists, intellectuals and activists who have become known as the ‘Badinan detainees’.
While most of the Badinan detainees have been released or acquitted, Zebari and four others were initially sentenced to six years in prison on charges of “endangering national security”, sparking significant international concern over press freedom in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Zebari’s incarceration was first reduced, then extended due to two extra charges being brought to bear – “misuse of communication” and possession of an antique rifle. These subsequent allegations and the extension of his prison term have been criticised by human rights groups and journalism watchdogs as evidence of the KRG’s crackdown on dissent and the use of legal systems to silence critical voices.
Despite a sentence reduction and a decree from the Kurdistan Region’s President Nechirvan Barzani that led to the release of three detainees in March 2023, Zebari has remained incarcerated until now.
Upon his release, Zebari condemned the treatment of the Badinan detainees, labelling the actions against him and his fellow prisoners a betrayal of democracy, Roj News reported. He emphasised the oppressive conditions they faced, including constant surveillance and the exaggeration of minor incidents as pretexts for punishment.
His sentiments echo broader criticisms of the approach of the Kurdish authorities to journalism and political activism, with organisations like Human Rights Watch highlighting the use of “vaguely worded laws” to suppress dissent.
The renowned Kurdish journalist Şerwan Şêrwanî is now the last remaining member of the Badinan group who is still behind bars. Like Zebari, Şêrwanî was sentenced to an additional four years imprisonment by an Erbil (Hewlêr) court in July 2023, despite having completed his initial sentence. His release was originally scheduled for September 2023, before the new sentence was handed down.
