Protests and demands for an investigation after murder of journalist Garmyani in Iraqi Kurdestan

Garmyani

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has written to the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Massoud Barazani, to urge his government to carry out a thorough investigation into the murder of journalist Kawa Mohamed Ahmed Garmyani who was shot dead in the town of Kalar in east Kurdistan, Thursday 5 December.
According to IFJ affiliate, the Kurdistan journalists' Syndicate (KJS), its member Garmyani was gunned down at 9pm outside his house. Media reports say that a few days before his murder he had announced on his Facebook page that he had documents relating to a corruption case that he was planning to write about in the local ‘Rayal' magazine, of which he was editor in chief. Garmyani (32) was also a correspondent for the ‘Awene' newspaper. According to reports, Garmyani had been involved in disputes with local politicians because of his investigative reporting and he recently registered a complaint with Garmyan police against one of them.
Reporters without Borders (RSF) also demanded action  by the government."We are appalled by Germyani's murder and offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and colleagues," the group said in a statement. "A professional journalist who covered corruption and nepotism in Iraqi Kurdistan, Germyani knew he was in danger and had told the region?s authorities about the threats he had received," the group said."His murder could have been avoided if they had taken the necessary measures to protect him."
RSF added that it is "worried about the very dangerous climate for journalists both in Iraqi Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq, and about the impunity enjoyed by their attackers and killers." Germyani's killing came less than two weeks after another journalist,Alaa Edwar, was killed in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq. Three more journalists were killed in Mosul in october.
The murder also led to protests, like in Suli (photo below).