Lawyer Rêving Yasin, who represents Behdinan-based journalist and activist Umed Beroşkî, stated that his client was due to be released on July 30, 2025, having completed his sentence. However, according to Yasin, the authorities have postponed Beroşkî’s release by six months, citing a previous conviction as the reason. The decision has sparked concern regarding freedom of expression and the criminalization of journalistic work.
Beroşkî had posted on Facebook on July 23, 2024, reporting that Mela Nezîr had been detained by officials at Zîrkan Prison but was never taken to the facility. Following this post, prison authorities filed a complaint against Beroşkî, accusing him of “defamation.”
After two court hearings, Beroşkî was sentenced to six months in prison. However, the sentence was initially suspended, with the condition that it would only be enforced if a similar offense was repeated. Despite this, on July 30, 2025, the Duhok Directorate of Criminal and Penal Affairs re-imprisoned Beroşkî, invoking the same defamation case as justification. Previously, on August 18, 2020, Beroşkî was arrested on charges of “threatening national security.” He faced six separate cases and was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison. He was released on February 22, 2022, but has since been detained several times for short periods.
The Metro Center for the Protection of Journalists expressed its concern regarding the newly imposed six-month sentence against Beroşkî, emphasizing that the case should be addressed within the framework of the Journalism Law.
Source: ANF News
