LAVE KURDE

Sulaymaniyah- In the Federal Kurdistan Region, journalists, activists, women, and different segments of society have faced increasing pressure. Many people have been imprisoned for expressing their thoughts by the government.

The situation in the region is a violation of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Lawyer Geşe Nexşin Hafid noted that people living in the Federal Kurdistan Region cannot express their thoughts freely and that there is no democratic education system in the region.

“Women face more discrimination”

Stating that the Kurdistan Region doesn’t have a law protecting the rights of women and children, Geşe Nexşin Hafid said that discrimination against women in society is getting deeper day by day. Emphasizing that women and girls are prevented from getting education by their families, Geşe Nexşin Hafid said, “Women should be aware of all the pressure and the discrimination against them. Article 38 of the Iraqi Constitution says each Iraqi has the right to freedom of thought. But this article is not implemented in real life. Each citizen needs to have the right to freedom of thought.”

“The government does not act according to the law”

Geşe Nexşin Hafid noted that the Federal Kurdistan Region has turned into a police state and said: “The new government doesn’t respect the right to freedom of thought, democracy, and individual rights; it doesn’t act according to the law and rules. Activists and journalists have faced more rights violations. They have faced arbitrary arrests and detention.”

“Journalists are under pressure”

Emphasizing that journalists face pressure in the region every day, Geşe Nexşin Hafid said that the government tries to intimidate the people through arbitrary arrests and detention. “A dialog among all segments of society is needed to overcome this situation. If we unite, we can overcome all the difficulties.”