Arrested | Independent Journalist
Sherwan Sherwani
#FreeSherwanSherwani
Stand in solidarity with the journalist Sherwan Sherwani who has been abducted for exposing government corruption in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Arrested | Independent Journalist
Sherwan Sherwani
#FreeSherwanSherwani
Stand in solidarity with the journalist Sherwan Sherwani who has been abducted for exposing government corruption in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Sign the letter to demand the government immediately release Sherwan Sherwani.
Sign the letter to demand the government immediately release Sherwan Sherwani.
Sherwan Sherwani is an independent journalist who has worked for many years to expose government corruption. The Kurdistan Regional Government has attempted to silence Sherwan since he started reporting on the government’s corruption. On 7 October 2020, a group of ten armed and unidentified men entered Sherwan’s home and seized his computer, recorder, camera, and phone. The group then held a gun to Sherwan’s head in front of his wife and children and abducted him. At this moment, Sherwan Sherwani’s location is still unknown.
Update: February 19, 2021
Update: October 27, 2020
Nineteen days after being abducted by the Kurdistan Regional Government, the whereabouts of CPT partner Sherwan Sherwani’s was finally revealed, even though he continues to be imprisoned.
Muhammed Abdullah, the lawyer of Sherwan Sherwani, was finally able to meet with Sherwan in the Erbil General Security prison today at 1:00 PM.
Speaking over the phone, Muhammed Abdullah told CPT, “After trying multiple times to meet Sherwan Sherwani, I could finally meet him under the surveillance of some security guards. Sherwan was asking for justice in his case.”
CPT contacted Sherwan’s wife, Rugash khan; she said, “I am happy that now we know where Sherwan’s location, but it’s not enough. We ask the KRG to release my husband soon. My kids and I are waiting for Sherwan to come back again.”
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Sign this letter to urge the Kurdistan Regional Government to disclose Sherwan Sherwani’s location and release him immediately.
On 7 October 2020, a group of ten armed and unidentified men entered Sherwan’s home at 4:30 PM and seized his computer, recorder, camera, and phone. The group then held a gun to Sherwan’s head in front of his wife and children and abducted him. Sherwan’s wife, Rugash Izzaddin Muheiadin, reported this abduction to CPT Iraqi Kurdistan immediately after he was taken. At this moment, Sherwan Sherwani’s family still do not know where he is located.
Days before he was abducted, Sherwan published posts on his Facebook account criticizing Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Sherwan called on representatives to hold the prime minister accountable for the recent killings of journalists and human rights activists in Iraqi Kurdistan. Sherwan was then abducted after he published these Facebook posts.
For many years, Sherwan has worked as an independent journalist to expose the Kurdistan Regional Government’s corruption. Sherwan and his family have lived under the constant threat of violence from the Kurdistan Regional Government since he started reporting on the government’s corruption. In 2017, Sherwan and his family received multiple death threats from the Kurdistan Regional Government’s secret police, the Asayish. Sherwan contacted CPT Iraqi Kurdistan at this time and requested advocacy and accompaniment for him and his family.
CPT Iraqi Kurdistan has documented Sherwan being threatened, arrested, and abducted multiple times by the Asayish security forces. The most recent abduction of Sherwan further demonstrates that the Kurdistan Regional Government criminalizes freedom of expression, especially for journalists who expose the government’s corruption.
We urge the Kurdistan Regional Government to disclose Sherwan Sherwani’s location and release him immediately.
Join us. Stand in solidarity and sign the petition calling for Sherwan Sherwani’s freedom.
Dear Kurdistan Regional Government,
We urge you to disclose Sherwan Sherwani’s location and release him immediately. On 7 October 2020, an armed and unidentified group abducted Sherwan Sherwani at his home. Since he was abducted, Sherwani’s family has yet to receive any information on where he is located.
Days before Sherwan Sherwani was abducted, he publicly asked for accountability from the Kurdistan Regional Government for the recent killings of journalists and human rights activists in Iraqi Kurdistan. Immediately after publishing his request for accountability, Sherwani was abducted by an armed and unidentified group.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a legal framework which the Kurdistan Regional Government recognizes, mandates that every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, just as Sherwan Sherwani expressed his right to call on the government to be more transparent and accountable to every person who lives under its governance.
Calling for transparency from the government should not be criminalized. Freely expressing one’s opinion as a journalist is not a crime. We urge you to protect the rights of all journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan, including the rights of Sherwan Sherwani.
We urge you to disclose Sherwan Sherwani’s location and release him immediately so he may return to his family.
Sincerely,
Sherwan Sherwani is an independent journalist who has worked for many years to expose government corruption. The Kurdistan Regional Government has attempted to silence Sherwan since he started reporting on the government’s corruption. On 7 October 2020, a group of ten armed and unidentified men entered Sherwan’s home and seized his computer, recorder, camera, and phone. The group then held a gun to Sherwan’s head in front of his wife and children and abducted him. At this moment, Sherwan Sherwani’s location is still unknown.
Sign the letter. Add your name.
Update | October 27: Nineteen days after being abducted by the Kurdistan Regional Government, the whereabouts of CPT partner Sherwan Sherwani’s was finally revealed, even though he continues to be imprisoned.
Muhammed Abdullah, the lawyer of Sherwan Sherwani, was finally able to meet with Sherwan in the Erbil General Security prison today at 1:00 PM.
Speaking over the phone, Muhammed Abdullah told CPT, “After trying multiple times to meet Sherwan Sherwani, I could finally meet him under the surveillance of some security guards. Sherwan was asking for justice in his case.”
CPT contacted Sherwan’s wife, Rugash khan; she said, “I am happy that now we know where Sherwan’s location, but it’s not enough. We ask the KRG to release my husband soon. My kids and I are waiting for Sherwan to come back again.”
__________________________
Sign this letter to urge the Kurdistan Regional Government to disclose Sherwan Sherwani’s location and release him immediately.
On 7 October 2020, a group of ten armed and unidentified men entered Sherwan’s home at 4:30 PM and seized his computer, recorder, camera, and phone. The group then held a gun to Sherwan’s head in front of his wife and children and abducted him. Sherwan’s wife, Rugash Izzaddin Muheiadin, reported this abduction to CPT Iraqi Kurdistan immediately after he was taken. At this moment, Sherwan Sherwani’s family still do not know where he is located.
Days before he was abducted, Sherwan published posts on his Facebook account criticizing Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Sherwan called on representatives to hold the prime minister accountable for the recent killings of journalists and human rights activists in Iraqi Kurdistan. Sherwan was then abducted after he published these Facebook posts.
For many years, Sherwan has worked as an independent journalist to expose the Kurdistan Regional Government’s corruption. Sherwan and his family have lived under the constant threat of violence from the Kurdistan Regional Government since he started reporting on the government’s corruption. In 2017, Sherwan and his family received multiple death threats from the Kurdistan Regional Government’s secret police, the Asayish. Sherwan contacted CPT Iraqi Kurdistan at this time and requested advocacy and accompaniment for him and his family.
CPT Iraqi Kurdistan has documented Sherwan being threatened, arrested, and abducted multiple times by the Asayish security forces. The most recent abduction of Sherwan further demonstrates that the Kurdistan Regional Government criminalizes freedom of expression, especially for journalists who expose the government’s corruption.
We urge the Kurdistan Regional Government to disclose Sherwan Sherwani’s location and release him immediately.
Join us. Stand in solidarity and sign the petition calling for Sherwan Sherwani’s freedom.
Dear Kurdistan Regional Government,
We urge you to disclose Sherwan Sherwani’s location and release him immediately. On 7 October 2020, an armed and unidentified group abducted Sherwan Sherwani at his home. Since he was abducted, Sherwani’s family has yet to receive any information on where he is located.
Days before Sherwan Sherwani was abducted, he publicly asked for accountability from the Kurdistan Regional Government for the recent killings of journalists and human rights activists in Iraqi Kurdistan. Immediately after publishing his request for accountability, Sherwani was abducted by an armed and unidentified group.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a legal framework which the Kurdistan Regional Government recognizes, mandates that every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, just as Sherwan Sherwani expressed his right to call on the government to be more transparent and accountable to every person who lives under its governance.
Calling for transparency from the government should not be criminalized. Freely expressing one’s opinion as a journalist is not a crime. We urge you to protect the rights of all journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan, including the rights of Sherwan Sherwani.
We urge you to disclose Sherwan Sherwani’s location and release him immediately so he may return to his family.
Sincerely,
