On Monday 26 June, Kurdish journalist Ghazi Ghareeb Zorab was detained at the Dallas Court Reporting Centre in Salford, Manchester, where he was making a regular visit, as is required of him while his asylum claim is being processed. He is expected to be moved onwards from Jordan and then to Iraq, despite fears about credible threats to his life.
The NUJ has expressed grave concern about the dangers that Zorab will face if deported, due to his journalistic work. His reporting on politics in the Iraqi Kurdistan region means that he is a likely target and could be subjected to violent attacks and torture.
The IFJ has highlighted the disregard for journalists’ human rights in Iraqi Kurdistan, with arbitrary arrests and attacks by security forces recorded. In 2022, there were at least 73 cases of media and rights violations.
The IFJ joins the NUJ in calling on UK authorities to demonstrate their commitment to the protection of journalists and halt his deportation. Zorab was unaware that he would be detained when reporting to the immigration centre this week, an action that he had complied with for several months.
If returned to Iraq, the IFJ and NUJ believe that the UK government will be facilitating the persecution of Zorab and putting his life at risk. The union and the federation therefore urge the Home Office to urgently reconsider this case in light of the safety risks facing him because of his work as a journalist.
On 28 June, Ghazi's lawyers submitted a new asylum claim alongside an immigration bail application.
IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, declared :“We strongly condemn this inhumane decision taken by the UK government. The authorities must guarantee protection and asylum to our colleague Ghazi Ghareeb Zorab, who is facing threats to his life in Iraq.”