Metro Center welcomes Kurdistan Region’s court ruling overturning sentence for journalist
Defense attorney Nariman Ahmed confirmed to the Metro Center that the Court of Appeals has issued a release order for the journalist Sleman Ahmed, who had been detained since Oct. 2021.
Jan. 6, 2025
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Metro Center for Journalists' Rights and Advocacy welcomed a significant judicial decision on Monday, as Kurdistan Region's Court of Appeals overturned the three-year prison sentence of journalist Sleman Ahmed, marking a noteworthy development for press freedom in the region.
Defense attorney Nariman Ahmed confirmed to the Metro Center that the Court of Appeals has issued a release order for the journalist, who had been detained since Oct. 2021.
Ahmed, a reporter for the Arabic section of ROJ News Agency, was primarily arrested at the Fishkhabur border crossing while returning from Syria's Kurdish region (Rojava), where he had traveled to attend his father's funeral ceremonies.
The case has drawn considerable attention from press freedom advocates since Ahmed's detention at the border checkpoint on Oct. 25, 2021.
The Metro Center expressed satisfaction with the appellate court's decision, particularly commending the legal team's efforts, including attorneys Nariman Ahmed, Bashdar Hassan, and Rebaz Wasu, who successfully argued for the journalist's release.