The Iraqi Center for Supporting Freedom of Speech condemns repeated attacks to the journalists and bloggers in Baghdad and Kurdistan region, the most recent attack on Ghassan Atiyya, editor of the Al- Yauom Al- Sabe’e newspaper in Sulaymaniyah by unknown people believed that Al- Tagheer Kurdish Party behind that, as well as the attack of close associates of the Minister of Transport to the representative of the local newspaper in addition to the threat of the editor of the same newspaper.

Ghassan Rahma, the chief of Al- Yauom Al- Sabe’e newspaper, said in an interview “"A white Hyundai car stood behind me, where two people got off and walked towards me, they asked is am Iraqi journalist? I said; yes, at that time one of them, without any introduction from my neck, threw me down and they both beat me hard and insulted me. "

"The first person said: Al- Sulaymaniyah cannot be (Persian), you have one hour to return to Baghdad and to  the rule of the mullahs," noting that he "mentioned the exact address of the house I lived in Sulaymaniyah, in a sign of seditious incitement to threaten the liquidation of the body." Ghassan Rahma added.

Rahma said that "this came against the backdrop of our demand to hold the Al- Tagheer Kurdish Party to implement the obligations of their candidates and cooperate with the newspaper, which published the election programs earlier."

While the Iraqi Center demanding the Prime Minister Dr. Haider Abadi and the Kurdistan Regional Government to form an urgent investigation committee to expose the aggressors and public announcement, and calls for full protection of journalists and correspondents of satellite channels which working in Kurdistan and respect for their legal and constitutional work.

The Iraqi Center concern about the accumulation of press violations, especially within government institutions, which is in serious condition, which is a serious situation, must be confronted and controlled, and an understanding the work of journalists which working on the survey reports.

In another context, the representative of all the news newspaper (Haider Musa Amran) was attacked by a close associate of the Minister of Transport, Kazem Fenjan Al-Hamami, inside his office at the ministry's headquarters, in addition to the threat of the editor of the newspaper Aqeel Shuweili, against the background of the publication of press articles related to the work of the Ministry of Transport.

The manager of All the News newspaper Aqeel al-Shuwaili, said to the Iraqi Center “The newspaper published corruption files that related to the Ministry of Transport, which was a many series of files published by the ministries of government to diagnose the level of performance, However, the newspaper's representative was subjected to an unprecedented attack by people wearing official uniform at the minister's office and they were chasing me in the intention of being detained or kidnapped inside the ministry.

While the Iraqi Center demanding Prime Minister Dr. Haider Abadi and the Kurdistan Regional Government to form an urgent investigation committee to expose the aggressors and public announcement, it calls for full protection of journalists and correspondents of satellite channels operating in the region and respect for their legal and constitutional work.

The Iraqi Center for Support Freedom of Speech expresses its concern about the accumulation of press violations, especially inside the government institutions, which is in serious condition, which, fight it, and understand the work of journalists who work on the survey reports.