“Arresting journalists will prevent economic demands from [being] voiced in the Region,” Head of RSF’s Middle East desk Sabrina Bennoui said in a statement.

“It is essential to allow the population to have access to all the information that is important to them. The Kurdish security forces must stop obstructing the work of journalists,” she added.

The arrests and the broadcast suspension have been roundly criticized by international and local watchdogs.

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