AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT
6 December 2013
Index: MDE 14/023/2013
Iraq: Authorities must investigate killing of journalist
Amnesty International has called on the authorities of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to launch
immediately an independent, impartial and thorough investigation into the killing on 5
December of Kurdish journalist Kawa Muhammad Ahmad Garmyani, who was shot dead
outside his house in Kalar, south of Suleimaniya, by gunmen who fled the scene.
Kawa Garmyani, aged 31, was the editor of the monthly magazine Rayal and a correspondent
for the daily newspaper Awene. He had been investigating corruption by officials in the
Garmyan region of Iraqi Kurdistan and had published a series of articles on the subject in
Rayal. He recently announced on his Facebook page that he was in possession of documents
relating to land corruption and that his next article would reveal the names of officials in the
Rayal magazine. He said that he received anonymous death threats over the phone shortly
afterwards.
Kawa Garmyani had received other threats in previous years in connection with his work and
had initiated lawsuits against individuals he believed were responsible for threatening him.