Metro director steps back amid pressure on press freedom watchdog

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The director of Metro Center, a local press freedom watchdog, said on Friday he is stepping back from the role amid unconfirmed pressure on the organization.

“I hope during this period of my distancing from Metro Center, which I don't know how long it will last, [Diary Mohammed] can loyally carry out the center's work,” Rahman Gharib wrote on Facebook.

Gharib did not give a reason for stepping down, however, an informed source said he “has appeared frequently in the media due to various incidents in Sulaimani, and because of this, he has received messages from several places to remain silent during this period.”

It is unclear who sent the messages or what they contained. Metro Center officials have declined to provide details. Rudaw English reached out to Gharib for comment, but he did not respond.

In recent weeks, Gharib has spoken to the press about the shooting of journalist Hemn Mamand in Sulaimani. Metro has also spoken out about the seizure of Zoom, a media channel linked to Lahur Talabany that was forcibly seized after his August 22 arrest following hours of deadly clashes that had tanks rolling through the streets of Sulaimani.

"It is justifiable for people to fear” after Talabany’s arrest, Gharib told Rudaw on Tuesday. "There is fear, which comes from the size of the force used in the fighting."

He added that he is not afraid of any force.

"I did not fear Saddam [Hussein] when I was a member of the Communist party. I have commented on many issues. I and Metro Center spoke the most about the Badinan trial. Therefore, we do not fear and we know we say the truth,” he said.

The Badinan trial refers to the prosecution of journalists and activists in Duhok.

Hakim Azad Hama-Amin, head of the Kurdistan Journalists' Syndicate, told Rudaw that they are unaware of any pressure being exerted on Metro.

We “are not aware of any pressure being exerted on Metro Center's management, and they have not informed us so that we could help them and coordinate with them,” he said.

In a separate Facebook post later on Friday, Gharib stood by his criticism, emphasizing that his views do not necessarily reflect those of Metro. He also criticized certain media outlets - without naming them - for exploiting his comments.

Soran Hussein contributed to this article. 

Updated at 6:22 pm