Human rights activist Ayhan Saeed said that security forces raided the house of journalist Omed Baroshki on Thursday morning and arrested him.
Saeed said that Baroshki has been transferred to Zirka Reform Prison following his arrest, where a complaint has been lodged against him.
He added that Baroshki is facing defamation charges stemming from his statements made on January 23, where he allegedly stated, “Mulla Nazir Barwari was kidnapped” from the prison to an Asayish facility.
Saeed said that the imprisonment of Omed Baroshki under Article 2 of the Misuse of Communication Devices law is illegal and that his remarks about the abduction of Mullah Nazir are not defamatory, as confirmed by the family.
He said that the arrest of Omed Baroshki is perceived as part of a new illegal process by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to exert pressure on activists and journalists in Bahdinan, stemming from the KDP’s concerns regarding potential civil unrest and electoral losses in Bahdinan.
