Rayel, Awene
December 5, 2013, in Kalar, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

Unknown gunmen shot and killed Garmyane outside his home in town of Kalar, south of the Kurdish Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, news reports said.

Garmyane was the editor-in-chief of the news website Rayel and a correspondent for the Kurdish-language newspaper Awene. Garmyane had published several reports alleging corruption among Kurdish politicians, especially of those within the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party, according to the local press freedom group Metro Center for Journalists Rights and Advocacy.

News reports said Garmyane posted on his Facebook page three days prior to his death that he planned to publish a new report on corruption.

The Metro Center called for an investigation into Garmyane's killing and said the PUK owed an "explanation." The PUK, which is led by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, condemned the killing and denied all involvement in it.

Kurdish President Massoud Barzani also condemned the killing, according to news reports. Barzani leads the PUK's main political opponent, the Kurdish Democratic Party.

Medium:Print, Internet
Job:Editor, Print Reporter
Beats Covered:Corruption, Crime, Politics
Gender:Male
Local or Foreign:Local
Freelance:No
Type of Death:Murder
Suspected Source of Fire:Unknown Fire
Impunity:Yes
Taken Captive:No
Tortured:No
Threatened:Yes

Disclaimer: © Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.