Peregraf
The Coalition 19 Network, a grouping of human rights advocacy organizations, has strongly criticized the prevention of press conferences in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, warning that such actions-carried out without clear legal justification-represent a violation of freedom of expression.
In a statement released on Monday, the coalition demanded the removal of requirements for organizers to obtain licenses for holding press conferences, whether in open spaces or closed halls. It stressed that civil society groups and professional associations must be allowed to operate freely and without repression.
The criticism follows two recent incidents. On September 20, 2025, the Teachers’ Professional Organization, the High Board of Leading Teachers, and the Board for the Defense of Teachers’ Rights were scheduled to hold a press conference in front of the Kurdistan Parliament to present a memorandum outlining teachers’ demands. Security forces, however, blocked the event and prevented journalists from approaching.
"The security forces did not allow us to hold the conference and did not allow journalists to approach us," said Maghdid Haji from the Teachers’ Professional Organization. "We eventually moved the press conference to another place and read the memorandum."
Earlier this month, on September 9, the Kurdistan Congress of Freedom and Change was also prevented from holding a press conference in Sulaymaniyah’s Nali Park, with security forces citing a lack of official permission. "Our goal is to defend the freedom and security of this city, but they didn’t let us. We were forced to relocate and hold the conference elsewhere," said Baha Omar, a representative of the group.
Coalition 19 argues that neither case falls under the scope of the Kurdistan Region’s Law No. 11 of 2010 on Organizing Demonstrations, which regulates marches, strikes, and public gatherings. The law requires organizers of demonstrations to seek permission from the authorities, but it makes no mention of press conferences. Despite this, security agencies across the Kurdistan Region now require prior approval for such events, even in closed venues.
"Preventing press conferences in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, without a clear legal justification, is a violation of freedom of expression," the coalition said. "We demand that the requirement for a license be removed and that organizations be allowed to carry out their work freely and without repression."
Network 19, which is supervised by the Metro Center, was formed by a coalition of human rights organizations. It upholds the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments, particularly Article 19 of the declaration, which guarantees the right to freedom of expression.