Peregraf
Eighteen press freedom, human rights organizations, and media outlets - including Peregraf Media - have urged the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to immediately and unconditionally release imprisoned journalist Sherwan Sherwani, denouncing his repeated convictions as politically motivated and part of systematic judicial harassment.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the groups declared: "The Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq must immediately release journalist Sherwan Sherwani and end judicial harassment."
Sherwani, known for his investigative reporting on corruption and human rights abuses, has faced a series of prosecutions since 2021. On August 20, 2025, the Erbil Criminal Court sentenced him to an additional four years and five months in prison — his third conviction since 2021.
The organizations said each case against him has been marked by serious due process violations, unfair trials, and intimidation. They stressed that his only "crime" has been practicing independent journalism.
The statement recalled that Sherwani’s legal troubles began with a six-year sentence in 2021, followed by another conviction in 2023 on vague forgery charges, and most recently his 2025 conviction, which observers described as based on contradictory testimony and unverified allegations.
"The misuse of the judicial system to punish journalists like Sherwani is a grave violation of international human rights standards and undermines the Kurdistan Region’s own legal obligations and commitments to justice," the signatories warned, noting that the case highlights a broader decline in press freedom across the Middle East.
The groups called on the KRG to:
• Release Sherwan Sherwani without conditions and drop challenges to any appeal of his conviction
• End the abusive application of laws against journalists
• Ensure all trials meet international standards of fairness and transparency
• Take concrete measures to protect press freedom in the region
They also cautioned that Sherwani’s continued imprisonment damages the Kurdistan Region’s international reputation as a government committed to democracy and human rights.
The statement was signed by 18 organizations:
1. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
2. Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
3. Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT)
4. International Press Institute (IPI)
5. MENA Rights Group
6. Metro Center for Journalists' Rights & Advocacy
7. Jasana Organization for Freedom of Expression
8. The International Rights Institute (IRI)
9. Reporters for Rights and Development
10. The Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq (PFAA)
11. Iraqi Association for Defending Journalists' Rights
12. ActiveWatch
13. HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
14. PEREGRAF Media Foundation
15. Democracy for the Arab World Now - DAWN
16. INSM Foundation for Digital Rights
17. Cartoonists Rights Network International
18. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)