Concerns grow over whereabouts of journalist held in detention in KRG

Süleyman Ahmed, the editor of Rojnews' Arabic service, has been missing for 26 days since his detention by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraqi Kurdistan on October 25. 

The Dicle Fırat Journalists' Association (DFG) expressed increasing concerns about Ahmed's well-being in a Kurdish statement posted on X account. 

Suleyman Ahmed, the editor of Rojnews' Arabic service, was detained by the Security Forces of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) at the Pêşxabûr (Semalka) Border Crossing while returning from Aleppo in Northern and Eastern Syria, where he had gone due to his father's death.  

The Duhok Security Directorate, affiliated with the KDP, said in a written statement on October 31, six days after the detention incident, that Ahmed was not detained "due to journalistic activities." 

Baran Germiyanî, the Editor-in-Chief of Rojnews, told bianet that Ahmed has no legal issues in Kurdistan, saying, "He has residence and work permits. He is a member of both the press union working throughout Iraq and the union in the region. He is solely involved in journalism, and there is no reason for our editor to be detained." 

In response to Ahmed's abduction, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also issued a statement on November 2, urging KRG officials to disclose Ahmed's whereabouts and demanding the unconditional release of the journalist. (BA/RT)