Concern about journalist missing in Iraqi Kurdistan

Read in arabic / بالعربية Reporters Without Borders is very concerned about Mouloud Anfand, the editor of the magazine Kurd-Israel, who has been missing for the past 11 days in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region. According to his family and various media sources, he set off from Erbil on 9 June with aim of going to Sulaymaniyah and has not been seen since. “We fear the worst and we urge the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government’s authorities to do everything possible to find Mouloud Anfand,” Reporters Without Borders said. “And we therefore call for an immediate investigation into this journalist’s disappearance.” Armand, who is of Iranian origin, has been living in Iraqi Kurdistan for several years. Kurd-Israel is published by the Kurd-Israel Association, which promotes better relations between Israelis and Kurds and encourages Kurdish Jews who emigrated to Israel to return to Kurdistan. Its aims and activities are controversial and constitute a major source of discord between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iranian pro-government media accuse the Kurdish authorities of facilitating the “activities of the Zionist enemy’s agents,” the Israeli intelligence services. Just five days ago, the Iranian intelligence minister announced the arrests of several “mercenaries” and “participants” in the targeted murders of Iranian nuclear research scientists. At the same time, the minister also said that “part of Iranian intelligence activities is being carried out in neighbouring countries.”