Iraqi Kurdistan: journalists killed in suspected Turkish drone attack
NUJ urges immediate investigation into deaths of Gulistan Tara and Hero Bahadin.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have condemned the killings of journalists Gulistan Tara and Hero Bahadin killed on 23 August.
The journalists were travelling by car in the Said Sadiq district of Sulaymaniyah Province, northern Iraq when a suspected Turkish drone hit their vehicle. The drone strike also injured journalist Rêbîn Bekir and injured six others as they travelled on the road connecting Sulaymaniyah city and Said Sadiq district whilst on a reporting assignment.
The NUJ joins the IFJ in urging authorities of Türkiye and Iraq to launch an immediate investigation ensuring perpetrators responsible are held accountable. The drone attack is not the first targeting journalists in the Kurdistan region, and has been described by Anthony Bellanger, IFJ general secretary, as reflecting “the extreme dangers faced by journalists working in conflict zones and highlights the urgent need for immediate measures to ensure their safety and hold those responsible for these crimes accountable.”
On 8 July, a Çira TV media crew was bombed in a drone attack in Sinjar, northern Iraq resulting in serious injuries to journalist Murad Mirza Ibrahim, who died of his injuries three days later. Journalist Mydia Hussen was injured in the same attack.
The NUJ and IFJ affiliate Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate, call on authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into the women journalists’ deaths. Journalists must be able to report safely and the NUJ urges both Iraqi and Turkish authorities to ensure their protection.
Bellanger added, “It is hoped that this tragic incident will increase international awareness of the risks that journalists face and lead to efforts to provide them with the necessary protection.”