PM:02:16:25/09/2025
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Metro Center for Journalists’ Rights thanked NRT and its journalists for their resilience in the face of daily obstacles, saying that while the KDP and PUK administrations have disagreed on many issues for 14 years, they have been united in obstructing NRT’s work.
In a statement on Thursday, September 25, 2025, Metro said it was pleased to meet NRT journalists Karzan Osman, Chia Hussein, and Mariwan Hassan, who have always supported Metro and defended press freedom.
The meeting addressed challenges to civil space and press freedom, the use of new tools to suppress criticism, and restrictions on political and organizational freedoms. Metro noted that these practices have drawn criticism from international organizations concerned with democracy and human rights.
The Center also highlighted a joint statement issued on September 24, 2025, signed by several local and international organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Metro, calling for the release of journalist Sherwan Sherwani and urging authorities not to oppose appeals against his sentence.
Metro recalled that NRT, which began broadcasting on February 17, 2011, became the voice of citizens during the protests of that year. Just three days into its coverage, the channel’s headquarters was attacked by masked armed men.