Journalists Sherwan Sherwani and Guhdar Zebari, imprisoned in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) since October 2020 following a grossly unfair trial, are facing new spurious charges. Guhdar Zebari was scheduled to be released on 16 August but was informed on the same day that he has been charged with another offence. Sherwan Sherwani was due to be released on 9 September, but on 20 July, a court sentenced him to an additional four years in prison. The journalists were initially sentenced to six years in prison by the Erbil Criminal Court in February 2021 along with three activists. The three activists were released on 16 March 2023. Zebari and Sherwan must be immediately released.
