Iraq’s Kurdistan Slaps New Prison Term On Jailed Journalist Sherwan Sherwani

Authorities in Iraq’s Kurdistan region have imposed a fresh prison sentence on investigative journalist Sherwan Sherwani, just weeks before he was due for release, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Sherwani, a former editor of Bashur magazine known for exposing corruption, was arrested in 2020 and jailed the following year on charges of espionage and incitement.

He later received another conviction in 2023 for alleged forgery.

Lawyer Mohamed Abdallah said Sherwani was scheduled for release in September but was instead handed a new four-year, five-month term on charges of threatening a prison guard. He dismissed the case as politically motivated and vowed to appeal.

The verdict sparked chaos at the Arbil courtroom, where security forces clashed with Sherwani’s relatives, supporters, and lawmakers.

Witnesses reported beatings with rifle butts and several injuries after chants of “Freedom for Sherwan Sherwani” erupted.

Rights activists say the case underscores arbitrary arrests and repression in Kurdistan, a region long promoted as an oasis of stability in Iraq.