Zoom TV to relaunch after suspension tied to Lahur Talabany arrest

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Zoom TV will resume broadcasting soon, the channel’s director said on Saturday, two weeks after authorities shut down its Sulaimani office following the arrest of political figure Lahur Talabany.

“Today we got our channel's office back, but everything has been destroyed and no equipment remains usable. It's as if we have to establish a new channel,” Hemin Mahmoud told Rudaw.

Zoom will resume normal broadcasting after repairs are done, Mahmoud said.

Security forces raided the offices of Zoom and seized control of its facilities on August 22, the same day Talabany, leader of the opposition party Baray Gal (People’s Front), was arrested after hours of armed clashes between Sulaimani security forces and his supporters.

Mahmoud denied that Zoom is affiliated with Talabany.

“The channel is my property. It's in my name and has no connection to anyone else. That's how we got it back,” he said.