ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – KRG’s Ministry of Culture has extended the suspension of NRT media network for another week at the request of the public prosecutor and security forces in Sulaimani province, arguing that the suspension has helped bring “complete calm” to the province.
“Since the closure has resulted in the situation reaching complete calm, and to protect the lives of people and the offices of the Kurdistan Regional Government... we decided to extend the closure for another week to finalize legal procedures,” read an official decree from the ministry extending the suspension that was first imposed last Tuesday.
The ministry also accused NRT, one of Kurdistan's largest media outlets, of illegally using a TELEPORT broadcasting machine to “broadcast some other channel” without a licence and said it would take legal measures against the network.
NRT is yet to comment on the new order and accusation.
On Monday, NRT had demanded the ministry respect the initial order and allow the channel to resume its broadcast on Tuesday at 7:00 pm, local time.
The ministry closed NRT’s Kurdish and Arabic channels for allegedly inciting violence following protests that caused the deaths of at least two people and injured another 80 in Raniya, Sulaimani province.
NRT denied the accusations and called the decision by the KRG a “dangerous threat” against press freedom. The media outlet also stated that about 100 “masked” armed security forces had stormed their headquarters and ordered its closure “without a warrant.”
It said their staff was humiliated.
The network, which also has English-language services, was attacked by unknown armed men in 2011 who set its headquarters on fire, just days after people started to stage anti-government protests.
The US embassy in Baghdad, among others, stated last week that they were “concerned” over the closure of NRT by Kurdish authorities.
