Why I protest
Kawa Garmyani was a Kurdish journalist who spoke out about corruption. He wrote articles about powerful people in the Kurdish government, especially members of the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party). He showed how some officials were stealing land and money from the people. In 2013, he planned to take a KDP member to court. But just days later, on 5 December, gunmen came to his home and shot him dead in front of his mother. Many believe he was killed to stop him from telling the truth. No powerful people were ever punished. His death showed how dangerous it is to speak out in Kurdistan.
Sardasht Osman was a 23-year-old student and writer from Erbil. He wrote poems and articles about the Barzani family and how they used their power unfairly. He asked why the leaders had so much money while others were poor. In May 2010, men kidnapped him outside his university. Two days later, his body was found in Mosul — he had been beaten and shot. The government said terrorists did it, but many believe it was because of his writing. His murder scared many young people in Kurdistan. He became a symbol of what can happen to someone who speaks the truth.
Feryal Xalid was a member of a Kurdish opposition group. She was shot and killed in Kirkuk in January 2024. Her political group often spoke out against the KDP and PUK for corruption and abuse of power. Before she died, Feryal had been arrested and threatened by Kurdish security forces. Her death is seen as a political killing, meant to scare others who want change or who speak out against the authorities.
https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/feryal-sileman-xalid-laid-to-rest-in-hasakah-34481
Soran Mama Hama was a 23-year-old Kurdish journalist from Kirkuk. He was known for writing about corruption, drug gangs, and the police, especially those connected to the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan). On 21 July 2024, Soran was shot in the head outside his family home. Before he died, he said he had received threats from PUK-linked people because of what he wrote. After his murder, no one was arrested, and many believe that Kurdish security forces protected the people involved. His death shows that journalists who speak out against powerful people in the Kurdish government can be killed without justice.
Omed Baroshky is a 29-year-old Kurdish journalist from Duhok who was sentenced to six months in prison in January 2021. His crime was a Facebook post that criticised a local official. He was charged with defamation, even though all he did was share his opinion online. Omed had already been arrested before for similar reasons. This time, the Kurdish court gave him a jail sentence, showing how the government uses laws, not just bullets, to silence people. Human rights groups say the KRG is using the courts to punish free speech, and Omed’s case is just one of many. It shows that in Kurdistan, even peaceful words on social media can lead to jail.
https://cpj.org/2025/01/iraqi-kurdish-journalist-omed-baroshky-sentenced-to-6-months-in-prison/
On 9 February 2025, over 12 media crews covering a peaceful protest by teachers and civil servants in Sulaymaniyah were attacked by KRG security forces. Journalists were teargassed, two were arrested, and a television station was raided during the demonstration The protest was about unpaid wages—workers simply demanding their rights. Instead of allowing coverage, the KRG used force, arrests, and intimidation to shut down media coverage. This shows again how the government in Kurdistan uses its security apparatus to silence dissent and control what journalists report, even without resorting to killings.
These people did nothing wrong. They were journalists, teachers, and ordinary people who just wanted to tell the truth and help make Kurdistan a better place. But instead of being listened to, they were punished, arrested, or even killed. That is not fair. No one should be hurt just for speaking out. The Kurdish government must take responsibilityfor what happened to them. We cannot stay silent. We must stand together and speak up. We must remember these people and keep their voices alive. We want a Kurdistan where people are free to talk, free to protest, and free to live without fear. It’s time to say: enough is enough.
