Three journalists detained in Sulaimani

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Three journalists were detained this weekend in Sulaimani, according to a media advocacy group.

“The journalists were arrested last night by the security forces of Sulaimani,” Diyari Mohammed, director of Metro Center, told Rudaw on Saturday. “We are waiting for clarification from the security forces to understand why these three journalists were detained.”

The three arrested individuals are Nabaz Sheikhani, Dana Saleh, and Bashdar Baziani. Saleh and Baziani run their own media outlets, according to Diyari.

Metro Center’s annual report said that last year they documented 182 violations against journalists in the Kurdistan Region.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has defended its record on press freedom, saying it values the rights of freedom of expression and the media.

The Metro Center was established in 2009, in cooperation with the Journalists' Union for War and Peace, and monitors the state of press freedom in the Kurdistan Region.