The Metro Center for Journalist Rights & Advocacy stated that the closure of the Gezengy Barbayan Production Company was a political decision and called for a united stand to be taken.
The Organisation of Free Women in Kurdistan (RJAK), the NGOs Niwêger and Merziye for the research and promotion of art, and the production company Gezengy Barbayan, which created programmes for the women's channel Jin TV, were raided and closed by security forces on New Year's Eve. The local security force, Asayish, did not provide a reason for the ban on activity in the city of Sulaymaniyah.
The Asayish merely referred to a decision by Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council last August to ban all parties and organisations in the country associated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). As a result, the Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party (PADÊ), the Movement for a Free Society in Kurdistan (Tevgera Azadî) and the Democratic Fight Front (Partîya Enîya Têkoşîna Demokrasiyê) were closed.
The Gezengy Barbayan board views the closure of the production company as a gesture towards the Turkish government. The Supreme Judicial Council justified its decision at the time by stating, among other things, that the banned parties had opposed the constitutional order.
The Metro Center for Journalist Rights & Advocacy held a press conference protesting the closure of Gezengy Barbayan.
Diyarî Muhammed, Director of the Metro Centre, stated that the closure of Gezengy Barbayan Company is a political decision that aims to limit the media work in the Kurdistan Region and has nothing to do with the previous decision of the Iraqi Judicial Council to shut down three other parties.
Muhammed noted that Gezengy Barbayan Company has been operating in the region since 2018 with the official authorisation received from the government of the Kurdistan Region in 2017. He added that the company renewed its licence in May last year and has no legal problems but was informed about the Iraqi Judicial Council’s decision to stop its work at the end of the year.
Diyarî Muhammed said that journalists and media organisations should take a united stand when obstacles are placed in the way of a media company or media work.
“As Metro Centre, we demand further clarification on the reasons for the closure of the Gezengy Barbayan Company or the suspension of its work, and how this was done,” said Diyarî Mohammed.
