Sherwan Sherwani Case Raised with Top Canadian Leadership

Kurdistan 11:56 AM - 2026-05-21

Journalist Sherwan Sherwani.

A major advocacy campaign has been launched in Canada calling for the immediate and unconditional release of imprisoned Kurdish journalist Sherwan Sherwani. The initiative, which has drawn widespread support from artists, authors, journalists, activists, and members of the Kurdish diaspora, aims to elevate his case directly to the highest echelons of the Canadian government.

The campaign focuses on gathering signatures and raising international awareness regarding the deteriorating state of press freedom and freedom of expression in the Kurdistan Region.

Organisers have drafted a formal appeal in English, which has been dispatched via email to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Foreign Minister, opposition party leaders, Members of Parliament, and various political and civil society organisations across Canada.

The letter urges Canadian leaders to utilise diplomatic channels to pressure the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to secure Sherwani’s release. Organisers noted that Canada’s global standing as a staunch defender of human rights makes its intervention crucial at this juncture.

In tandem with the letter-writing campaign, an online petition has been launched to garner international solidarity. Organisers are also engaging with Canadian media outlets to provide briefings and statements on the broader crackdown on independent journalism in the region.

Sherwan Sherwani was originally arrested on 7 October 2020 alongside a group of journalists and activists from the Badinan region. Months later, on 16 February 2021, the Erbil Criminal Court sentenced him to six years in prison on controversial charges of "undermining national security"—a verdict that drew sharp condemnation from international press freedom watchdogs, including CPJ and Amnesty International.

The legal battle intensified on 19 August 2025, when the Bnaslawa Court of Misdemeanours handed Sherwani an additional sentence of over four years, effectively prolonging his detention despite repeated calls for his release.

The Canadian campaign represents a renewed effort by the diaspora and global human rights defenders to bring international scrutiny to the case, framing it as a benchmark for the state of civil liberties in the Kurdistan Region.


PUKMEDIA