Journalist shot in central Al-Sulaymaniyah

Shafaq News – Al-Sulaymaniyah

Two individuals on a motorcycle opened fire on the journalist and civil activist Hemen Mamand in Al-Sulaymaniyah before fleeing the scene, a local source reported on Tuesday.

The source told Shafaq News that Mamand was injured in the incident and was immediately transferred to the hospital for treatment, confirming that his condition is stable and not life-threatening. Security forces have opened an investigation and are pursuing the assailants.

According to Fadel al-Gharawi, head of the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq, more than 340 journalists have been killed in the country since 2003 — the highest toll globally over the past three decades. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Iraq 155th out of 180 countries in its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, noting only a modest improvement from 169 in 2024.