A demonstration is to take place outside the Iraqi Consulate in Brussels on Thursday, 5 September in response to the killings of journalists Gulîstan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn, who were fatally targeted in a Turkish drone strike in Sulaymaniyah (Silemanî), Iraq, on 23 August. The event, organised by the Kurdistan Women Journalists’ Union (Yekîtiya Rojnamevanên Jinên Kurdistan – ROJIN), will be held at Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 115, 1000 Brussels, starting at 15:00 local time.
The drone strike occurred in the Seyîdsadiq district of Sulaymaniyah, targeting a vehicle in which the two journalists were travelling. Another journalist, Rêbîn Bekir was severely injured in the attack, and five other journalists sustained lighter injuries.The incident has drawn widespread condemnation, fuelling concerns about the safety of journalists, particularly those working in conflict zones.
In a statement, ROJIN urged journalists and supporters to join the protest in a show of solidarity and to raise awareness about the growing dangers faced by journalists worldwide. The statement read: “In August 2024, a drone belonging to the Turkish state targeted and killed two female journalists, Gulîstan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn, in Seyîdsadiq, Sulaymaniyah. Journalists who report the truth, especially in war and conflict zones, are increasingly at risk. We raise our voices to protest against state violence and to defend the right to journalism. As Kurdish journalists, we will gather outside the Iraqi consulate in Brussels in protest against the Seyîdsadiq incident and to honour our fallen colleagues. We invite our fellow journalists and all friends to join us in this act of solidarity.”
The protest aims to draw attention to the broader issues of press freedom and the targeting of journalists in conflict zones.
