KRG Crime Reporting Ban Follows PUK Media’s Earlier Initiative

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A crime scene's yellow tape.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has announced a ban on media coverage of crimes in order to safeguard the progress of legal investigations.

In a statement issued on Thursday, 18 September 2025, the KRG said: “Following a directive from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers to all ministries and government bodies, no television channel or social media page may henceforth publish or promote images or videos of crimes, the accused, or the times and locations of criminal acts.”

The statement explained that the decision followed a request by the Independent Commission for Human Rights to the Council of Ministers, which called for a prohibition on the direct or indirect publication of crimes and suspects. The aim, it said, is to protect the integrity of investigations, preserve the psychological and social privacy of individuals, and prevent such cases from turning into political or social controversies.

The KRG underlined that the measure seeks to protect public safety, individual and societal security, and to ensure full respect for the conduct of legal investigations and the principles of human rights.

This move follows a similar decision by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) Media Board nine months ago. PUK-affiliated media outlets have since refrained from direct coverage of crimes, in line with journalistic ethics, human rights, and the need to safeguard the integrity of investigations.



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