Twenty-three year-old independent journalist Soran Hama was assassinated last week in Kirkuk, Iraq. Before his death, Soran had written articles critical of Kurdish authorities. (See accompanying release, “IRAQ: Journalist's assassination exposes lack of democracy,” http://www.cpt.org/node/7247)

Supporters of Soran Hama, democracy and human rights in Iraqi Kurdistan are circulating a letter and asking that international support and pressure be brought to bear upon Kurdish authorities whom they hold responsible for this murder. They are calling for a quick international investigation of this killing in order to find out who is directly responsible and to counter the threat that this assassination poses to free expression and democracy in Iraq and Kurdistan.

CPT Iraq urges you to join us calling for an international investigation by signing and circulating the petition, "Threat to free media in Kurdistan" at http://www.kurdmedia.com/article.aspx?id=14940.