Care2 member? Log in

Speak Up for Justice for Journalists in Iraq

Target: KRG Minister of Human Rights, Dr. Yousif M. Aziz
Sponsored by: Care2

Several journalists and writers from the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq have received death threats in recent days, despite a recent statement by U.S. General Petraeus saying that violence in Iraq is declining to almost "normal levels". One of the men, Souran 'Omar, was on a list of journalists at risk of being killed, apparently for criticizing the political parties in the region. Two others on the list, journalist Souran Mama Hama and academic 'Abd al-Sattar Taher Sharif, have been killed.

130 journalists have been killed and 51 have been kidnapped since the war in Iraq began five years ago. The victims are of many nationalities, but Iraqis are grossly over represented.

Journalists in the Kurdistan region of Iraq who criticize the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) are at particular risk. Journalists have been arbitrarily arrested and detained without trial, and sometimes tortured. Some have been abducted in the street and beaten by armed men wearing civilian clothes, and then released a few hours or days later.

This abuse of civilians needs to stop. Journalists are an invaluable group to the public who deserve justice and security.

Tell the KRG Minister of Human Rights to stop this abuse of human rights now -- and to uphold the right to freedom of expression in Iraq.

deadline: Ongoing...
goal: 10,000
 
10,690
signatures!

Sign Petition  see who signed this
log in
Prefix
optional
First name
Last name
Email
Country
Address
City
State
Province
Zip code Postal code
 
Express your concern for journalists in Iraq.
 
 
Care2's terms of service.
We respect your privacy. Your email address is used to confirm your signature and is NOT displayed publicly.
 
Having problems signing this petition? Please let us know.
To: KRG Minister of Human Rights,
Dr. Yousif M. Aziz

Your Excellency,

We are deeply concerned about reports that a "death list" exists with names of journalists critical of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq.

We ask for the KRG authorities to take action and identify those responsible for creating the list and to bring them to justice.

We urge you to take all possible steps to ensure the safety of Souran 'Omar, Nehad Jami, Kusrat 'Abd al-Rahman and other journalists and writers named in the list and to uphold the right to freedom of expression, including the right to express criticism of the KRG.

We urge the KRG authorities to disclose the details of the investigation into the murders of journalist Souran Mama Hama and academic 'Abd al-Sattar Taher Sharif.

Journalists, or any other civilian for that matter, should not have to live in fear for speaking out. Please take action and work towards curbing these human rights violations.

[Your comments]

Sincerely,
[Your name]
We signed the “Speak Up for Justice for Journalists in Iraq” petition!
# 100:
8:13 pm PDT, Jul 31, JAMES SULLIVAN, Illinois
# 99:
8:10 pm PDT, Jul 31, Sara Parker, United Kingdom
# 98:
8:10 pm PDT, Jul 31, Dorothy Dotson, Indiana
# 97:
8:10 pm PDT, Jul 31, Michael Cryer, Colorado
# 96:
8:09 pm PDT, Jul 31, Marcy Morgan, California
# 95:
8:07 pm PDT, Jul 31, Rosalie Hewitt, New York
# 94:
8:06 pm PDT, Jul 31, Susan Ratcliffe, Hawaii
# 93:
8:05 pm PDT, Jul 31, Martha Eberle, Texas
# 92:
8:04 pm PDT, Jul 31, Beth Drewelow, Iowa
# 91:
8:03 pm PDT, Jul 31, Adrienne Frey, Tennessee
# 90:
7:58 pm PDT, Jul 31, Mary Neal, Georgia
# 89:
7:55 pm PDT, Jul 31, Tabitha Woodson, Tennessee
# 88:
7:53 pm PDT, Jul 31, Beth Cook, Minnesota
# 87:
7:48 pm PDT, Jul 31, Debbie Hogan, California
Freedom of speech should be a universal amendment.
# 86:
7:46 pm PDT, Jul 31, Audrey Russell, Pennsylvania
# 85:
7:43 pm PDT, Jul 31, Jason Fish, California
# 84:
7:42 pm PDT, Jul 31, Honeysucklebarb Liebowitz, New Jersey
# 83:
7:41 pm PDT, Jul 31, Robert Puskarich, Florida
# 82:
7:39 pm PDT, Jul 31, Lindsay Mugglestone, California
# 81:
7:35 pm PDT, Jul 31, Linda Hughes, Florida
# 80:
7:33 pm PDT, Jul 31, David Buchan, Australia
# 79:
7:26 pm PDT, Jul 31, Chris Kuhar, Virginia
# 78:
7:19 pm PDT, Jul 31, Chris Cerutti, Wisconsin
# 77:
7:16 pm PDT, Jul 31, Name not displayed, Illinois
# 76:
7:10 pm PDT, Jul 31, Kirsten Cummins, Arizona
# 75:
7:09 pm PDT, Jul 31, Bonita S, Illinois
# 74:
7:07 pm PDT, Jul 31, Abril Castro, Texas
# 73:
7:05 pm PDT, Jul 31, Elizabeth Zenker, California
# 72:
7:00 pm PDT, Jul 31, Gwen Hoss, Colorado
# 71:
6:57 pm PDT, Jul 31, Darren Seute, Kansas
# 70:
6:56 pm PDT, Jul 31, Diane Britton, Washington
# 69:
6:54 pm PDT, Jul 31, Carla Cogswell, California
# 68:
6:48 pm PDT, Jul 31, Suzanne Chapin, Wisconsin
# 67:
6:47 pm PDT, Jul 31, Charles Shackelford, North Carolina
Hopefully we have not spawned the kind of corrupt government our nation supported in South Vietnam which ultimately contributed to their fall in 1975. This foray was supposed to be about freedom but I doubt this is the case unless you act with the integrity worthy of our nation's commitment thus far to your nation.
# 66:
6:46 pm PDT, Jul 31, Judith A. Cartisano, New York
# 65:
6:43 pm PDT, Jul 31, Joni Scalf, Texas
# 64:
6:43 pm PDT, Jul 31, Christofer Nicodemus, California
# 63:
6:41 pm PDT, Jul 31, Camille Gilbert, California
# 62:
6:37 pm PDT, Jul 31, LD Kranz, North Carolina
# 61:
6:35 pm PDT, Jul 31, Adama Hamilton, Oregon
# 60:
6:32 pm PDT, Jul 31, Paul Damian, Illinois
# 59:
6:32 pm PDT, Jul 31, Rob Levy, United Kingdom
This should not be happening in a democracy.
# 58:
6:31 pm PDT, Jul 31, C C Activist, North Carolina
# 57:
6:26 pm PDT, Jul 31, Tommy Bjorkman, Sweden
# 56:
6:26 pm PDT, Jul 31, Kristin Parker, California
# 55:
6:22 pm PDT, Jul 31, J Steven Reese, Alaska
My heart aches for the families of so many innocent people who are murdered as though they were simply annoying insects. These are heroes and their murderers are cowards. Everyone has the right to life and freedom.
# 54:
6:19 pm PDT, Jul 31, Dalia Hettfield, California
# 53:
6:06 pm PDT, Jul 31, Elizabeth Logan, Connecticut
# 52:
6:05 pm PDT, Jul 31, Bridget Pena, California
# 51:
6:03 pm PDT, Jul 31, Claire Chambers, California
Copyright © 2008 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved