Karzan Karim kept in jail after serving his sentence

SOUTH KURDISTAN (IRAQ) – 17.5.2013. – KURDISTAN TRIBUNE – Karzan Karim, an independent journalist who was working as a security officer at Erbil airport, was charged last year with divulging sensitive information to a third party and sentenced to two years imprisonment.

Karim was jailed after the Kurdistan Post published articles in which he accused security agency authorities of corruption. His case was taken up internationally by Human Rights Watch. Due to the time he had already spent in custody, Karzan was due to be freed on Wednesday, 15th May. However, there is still no news of his release. Karzan’s brother Karwan Karim told Sbeiy website: “We don’t know why his release is delayed and they only told us that papers have been delayed”. Many observers will conclude that there is no independent judiciary in Erbil and that the powers-that-be have no desire to release this young journalist.