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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
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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!

# 10,600:

6:59 pm PDT, Sep 29, Stacey Johnson, New York

# 10,599:

8:20 am PDT, Sep 29, Jamil Ahmed, Pakistan
free the Journalists because its their right to write no one stop them even KRG Minister of Human Rights, Dr. Yousif M. Aziz has right to stop them free them all or we strike . ok

# 10,598:

8:27 pm PDT, Sep 28, Faith Staggs, Florida

# 10,597:

3:01 am PDT, Sep 28, Allah yr Yar, Pakistan
journalist should be free to over the stories to bring the truth and rel fce of the government

# 10,596:

6:10 pm PDT, Sep 27, Name not displayed, California

# 10,595:

9:41 am PDT, Sep 27, Vernette Caroline, France

# 10,594:

7:13 am PDT, Sep 27, Name not displayed, Italy

# 10,593:

10:36 pm PDT, Sep 26, Mandy Munoz, California

# 10,592:

8:27 pm PDT, Sep 26, Kara Grant, Canada

# 10,591:

12:51 pm PDT, Sep 26, Susan Holland, New York

# 10,590:

11:49 am PDT, Sep 26, Attila Fenyvesi, Hungary

# 10,589:

10:35 am PDT, Sep 26, Kelly Miranda, New Jersey

# 10,588:

8:11 am PDT, Sep 26, Name not displayed, Pakistan
We are with u . Journalists!!!! keep up with ur gud work !!!!!

# 10,587:

7:07 am PDT, Sep 26, Marko Vodenicar, Croatia

# 10,586:

2:27 am PDT, Sep 26, Simos Tarabatzis, Greece

# 10,585:

12:46 pm PDT, Sep 25, Evelyn Yancey, Georgia

# 10,584:

11:50 am PDT, Sep 25, Donna Pacheco, Texas

# 10,583:

8:06 am PDT, Sep 25, Nicole Shadden, Illinois

# 10,582:

5:05 pm PDT, Sep 24, Martin Kornbluh, New York

# 10,581:

4:11 pm PDT, Sep 24, Renee Gardener, Canada

# 10,580:

12:36 pm PDT, Sep 24, Tamie Pryor, Illinois

# 10,579:

7:30 am PDT, Sep 24, Caroline Sandman, Netherlands

# 10,578:

2:49 am PDT, Sep 24, Catherine Salender, New Jersey

# 10,577:

10:16 pm PDT, Sep 23, Name not displayed, Missouri

# 10,576:

6:47 pm PDT, Sep 23, Isabelle Zomer, Netherlands

# 10,575:

4:43 pm PDT, Sep 23, Elizabeth Bryant, Idaho

# 10,574:

4:28 pm PDT, Sep 23, Marianela Segura, Costa Rica

# 10,573:

2:44 am PDT, Sep 23, Krista Dandridge-Barnett, California
Mr. Dr. Yousif M. Aziz, It is truly Essential that there is a fair and adequate balance of talks to be entered in by you and between the individuals so that there is an understanding that is reached (applied) and a word that is spoken to those outisde (the opposition) so that all sides are heard without penalty even when there is not an "acceptance" of all talk .. It is best to fairly get along .. Let LOVE Prevail ..

# 10,572:

1:20 am PDT, Sep 23, Eking Salassa, Netherlands

# 10,571:

4:44 pm PDT, Sep 22, Anamarija Pamukovic, Croatia

# 10,570:

3:41 pm PDT, Sep 22, Diana Di Giovanni, Italy

# 10,569:

2:05 pm PDT, Sep 22, Hariklia Katopi, Greece

# 10,568:

5:25 am PDT, Sep 22, Shamana Lee, New York

# 10,567:

1:31 pm PDT, Sep 21, Mike Cohn, Michigan

# 10,566:

8:06 am PDT, Sep 21, Janet Block, United Kingdom
The KRG is so ashamed of their practises being reported that they feel that to continue concealment they must murder journalists.

# 10,565:

1:39 am PDT, Sep 21, Sumera Nazar, Pakistan

# 10,564:

10:18 pm PDT, Sep 20, Teri Ashley, Nevada

# 10,563:

5:29 pm PDT, Sep 20, Name not displayed, United Kingdom

# 10,562:

12:16 pm PDT, Sep 20, Mandy Stone, South Carolina

# 10,561:

11:37 am PDT, Sep 20, Cynthia Sexton, New Jersey

# 10,560:

7:48 pm PDT, Sep 19, Carole Ann Spear, Massachusetts

# 10,559:

4:57 pm PDT, Sep 19, Denisse Kahan, Israel

# 10,558:

10:54 am PDT, Sep 19, Molly Hauck, Maryland

# 10,557:

10:35 am PDT, Sep 19, Felipe Benavides, Spain
The right to express critisism of the KRG is only a Human Rights' freedom

# 10,556:

7:42 am PDT, Sep 19, Jeffery Mitchell, Michigan

# 10,555:

9:27 pm PDT, Sep 18, Carol Normandin, California

# 10,554:

12:55 pm PDT, Sep 18, Barry Spielvogel, New York

# 10,553:

7:56 am PDT, Sep 18, Name not displayed, United Kingdom

# 10,552:

2:39 am PDT, Sep 18, Chris Newton, United Kingdom

# 10,551:

12:06 am PDT, Sep 18, Name not displayed, Slovakia

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