The detainees’ lawyer Bashdar Hassan told Rudaw that the presidential decree reduced the sentences of Sherwan Sherwani, Shvan Saeed, Ayaz Karam, Hariwan Issa, and Guhdar Zebari by 60 percent.
In February 2021, the five journalists and activists were put on trial for “endangering the national security of the Kurdistan Region.” They were found guilty and sentenced to six years in jail, prompting outcry from media watchdogs and human rights groups.
The appeal court upheld the ruling in May and in June, saying the men had intended to “target sensitive areas and establishments in the Kurdistan Region.”
The five were among dozens of people arrested during anti-government protests over unpaid wages in Duhok in 2020. They were accused of forming a group to support Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and establishing a political party with Iraqi President Barham Salih to undermine the stability of the Kurdistan Region.
Amnesty International at the time slammed the appellate court’s decision, releasing a call to action in the form of a letter to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Coordinator Office for International Advocacy, Dindar Zebari, calling on the KRG to “immediately” release the five detainees.
“I urge you to immediately and unconditionally release Sherwan Sherwani, Guhdar Zebari, Hariwan Issa, Ayaz Karam and Shvan Saeed, immediately take all steps to ensure their unjust conviction is quashed or overturned, and ensure a prompt and effective investigation into the allegations of torture and other ill-treatment with a view to holding perpetrators accountable and providing redress to them,” read the letter from Amnesty International, which served as a template for people to send to the KRG representative.
"The Kurdistan Regional Government is fully committed to the rule of law, to a fair and impartial legal process, and to the freedom of the media," read a statement from Zebari sent to Rudaw in May.
"The government is currently working with UNAMI and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure Kurdistan is fully meeting its international human rights obligations and is following international human rights best practice, in particular in respect to media freedom."
