The Syrian Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate: "The Autonomous Administration looks at the opponent's eye and hostility to every journalist who does not intersect with its ideas"

ARK News... The Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate - Syria issued a statement on September 19, 2021, on the eighth anniversary of the union's founding, in which it said: The press and journalists in Syria suffer from very bad and difficult conditions, and Syria is at the bottom of countries that respect the press, despite the boom and abundance of press platforms in the regions of western Kurdistan, the Autonomous Administration authorities impede the work of journalists and look at opponents and hostility to every journalist who does not intersect with their ideas. ARK has received a copy of the statement that reads:

About one hundred and sixty journalists from western Kurdistan announced the establishment of the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate – Syria in Erbil (Hawler) under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Youth of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and under the slogan "For a Free Press," the founding conference of the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate - Syria ended in the capital Hawler on 19/09/2013 to gather the creative energies of male and female journalists in western Kurdistan, and to unify the Kurdish media discourse and voice in Syria.

The establishment of the Syndicate was in order to protect Kurdish journalists and defend their rights, as they are practicing a profession that exposes them to many risks, and in light of the conditions of the war that erupted in Syria since 2011 and continues until now, we decided at the time and still are that this union should be a civil society institution away from all political parties and currents, and activate the journalist’s performance and work within the framework of the union in accordance with international laws, charters and covenants, we decided at the time, and we still are, for this Union to be a civil society institution away from all political parties and currents, and to activate the journalist’s performance and work within the Union’s framework in accordance with international laws, charters and covenants, especially the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

This framework was a necessity in order to unify the Kurdish journalists in our country, under an effective and comprehensive umbrella, to be the protector of workers in the field of media of all kinds.

After eight years, it is necessary to pay tribute and appreciation to the late Jiwan Mirani, the first head of Kurdistan Journalists-Syria, whose soul ascended to heaven on March 13, 2015 and had many bright projects and ideas in his hand to advance the profession of journalism in Western Kurdistan, but the word of fate was urgent that saddened our hearts.

After eight years, we, as a Council of the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate - Syria, have not achieved much of what we planned for the sake of free, objective and professional media that defends the dignity of Syrians of all stripes and sects, and perhaps the conditions of the war had the upper hand in many of the pitfalls and shortcomings that affected the march of our Union, and the travel of most of the members of the Union’s Council outside the country and Kurdistan, and the general political, economic and cultural conditions of Cairo, which afflicted the Syrian situation, the region in general, and the world recently, after the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, which almost paralyzed all aspects of human life, including the work and activities of our Union.

After eight years, the most difficult in all of Syria's history, the press and journalists in Syria are suffering from very bad and difficult conditions, and Syria is at the bottom of countries that respect the press.

Despite the boom and abundance of press platforms in the regions of western Kurdistan, the Autonomous Administration’s authorities impede the work of journalists, and look with opponents and hostility to every journalist who does not intersect with its ideas. About two months ago, journalists Barzan Layani and Muhammad Saleh Ahmed are still under arrest in the prisons of this administration.

After eight years, we will try to reunite the journalists in Western Kurdistan, and reopen the channels of communication with press organizations and bodies in our homeland, so that we may reach common denominators and stronger efforts to protect the press and journalists in Western Kurdistan.

Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate Council - Syria
19-9-2021

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