Unjust Treatment by the Kurdistan Regional Government Continues Against Sherwan Sherwani and Further Erodes Freedom of Expression

On August 19, 2025, journalist Sherwan Sherwani was tried and convicted in the Bnaslawa Misdemeanor Court for allegedly threatening a security officer inside the Erbil Adult Prison. He was sentenced to an additional four years and five months in prison. CPT-IK observed the trial and documented major violations, including a lack of proper evidence and procedures, the defense’s inability to challenge the validity of the evidence used to convict Sherwani, unjust sentencing, the militarization of the court, and the use of plainclothes security personnel to agitate and assault civilians waiting outside the courtroom. These violations reflect a documented pattern of political interference by government authorities in the judiciary and a lack of impartiality in the legal system, which continues to target journalists and activists who speak out against government corruption or interests, thereby limiting freedom of speech and expression.