ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Rudaw Media Network strongly condemns an attack on its reporting crew by supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Erbil on Sunday.





Members of the Rudaw team were assaulted in front of the United Nations office in Erbil where members and supporters of the PKK had gathered to demand freedom for their jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan and an end to Turkish military operations.





Rudaw correspondent Kurdistan Hassan and her cameraman Jegir Omar were hurt in the assault.





They reported that they had also received threats from the PKK supporters.





The protesters broke the police barriers and as a result wounded three members of the riot police.





Rudaw strongly condemns the assault on its crew and holds organizers of the protest legally responsible.





The network likewise urges PKK leaders to end their restrictions on Rudaw reporters in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) and other areas under their control.





Suppressing freedom of the press is against the principles of democracy and the Kurdish freedom movement.