Thursday, April 26, 2007
Kurdistan criticised by UNAMI for human rights abuse
Human Rights
(AP) - The United Nations has rebuked Kurdish authorities over their treatment of journalists and detainees in a rare critical assessment of the human rights situation in the oil-rich northern autonomous region that has been hailed as a success story in Iraq.
The U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq singled out Kurdistan in its 10th human rights report on Iraq, expressing concern over infringements on freedom of expression by the regional government. "Authorities continued to subject journalists to harassment, arrest and legal actions for their reporting on government corruption, poor public services or other issues of public interest," the report said.
The report, which was released Wednesday, also criticized Kurdish security forces, saying hundreds of detainees have been held for prolonged periods, "some for several years", without charge or due process. The report added that the mission has received allegations of the torture or ill-treatment of detainees. Fouad Mohammad, the regional human rights minister, said the report exaggerated the violations and he complained that he was not contacted about the cases.
The human rights report acknowledged the stable security situation but noted abuses in other areas. The report said most arrests of journalists were carried out by a unit that has jurisdiction over economic crimes such as smuggling, espionage and terrorism. The report also expressed concern about the situation of detainees in the area, saying the majority had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorism and other serious crimes, with many accused of being supporters of Islamist groups.
A prominent Kurdish politician acknowledged shortcomings and said efforts were being made to improve them. Mahmoud Othman said journalists were allowed to criticize government officials but restrictions were aimed at preventing slander.
The U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq singled out Kurdistan in its 10th human rights report on Iraq, expressing concern over infringements on freedom of expression by the regional government. "Authorities continued to subject journalists to harassment, arrest and legal actions for their reporting on government corruption, poor public services or other issues of public interest," the report said.
The report, which was released Wednesday, also criticized Kurdish security forces, saying hundreds of detainees have been held for prolonged periods, "some for several years", without charge or due process. The report added that the mission has received allegations of the torture or ill-treatment of detainees. Fouad Mohammad, the regional human rights minister, said the report exaggerated the violations and he complained that he was not contacted about the cases.
The human rights report acknowledged the stable security situation but noted abuses in other areas. The report said most arrests of journalists were carried out by a unit that has jurisdiction over economic crimes such as smuggling, espionage and terrorism. The report also expressed concern about the situation of detainees in the area, saying the majority had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorism and other serious crimes, with many accused of being supporters of Islamist groups.
A prominent Kurdish politician acknowledged shortcomings and said efforts were being made to improve them. Mahmoud Othman said journalists were allowed to criticize government officials but restrictions were aimed at preventing slander.
Labels: detainees, Fouad Mohammad, human rights, journalists, Kurdistan, Mahmoud Othman, U.N., UNAMI
