Irbil — IRQ: Authorities in Iraq’s Kurdistan region on Wednesday closed a TV channel belonging to opposition leader Shaswar Abdulwahid, who had recently served a prison sentence.
Irbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw said the region’s “public prosecutor has ordered the closure of the offices of NRT media in the Kurdistan Region,” starting with its Irbil bureau, which was shut on Wednesday.
He said a “complaint had been filed against NRT for insulting national symbols,” but gave no further details about who filed it or what it contained.
He added that “the matter was not political.”
Iraqi Kurdistan portrays itself as a haven of stability, but activists frequently denounce violations of press freedom, arbitrary arrests of journalists and non-respect for the right to protest.
Abdulwahid, a businessman-turned-politician, heads the New Generation party, which serves as the main opposition to the autonomous Kurdish region’s two historic parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
He has been arrested several times since he launched his party in 2017.
He was released from prison in January after serving several months in a defamation case.
Srwa Abdulwahid, sister of Shaswar and the head of the New Generation parliamentary bloc, accused the KDP of “repressing” the media and “only recognizing outlets loyal to and praising the authorities.”
The METRO center for press freedom in Kurdistan denounced NRT’s closure.
“Authorities are unable to deal properly with the media and journalists, and they are afraid of their work,” the center’s director Diyar Mohamed told AFP.
Iraqi Kurdistan closes opposition TV channel
https://arab.news/jypyu
Iraqi Kurdistan closes opposition TV channel
- The Irbil governor said the region’s public prosecutor has ordered the closure of NRT media’s offices, following a complaint accusing the outlet of insulting national symbols
- NRT owner and opposition leader Shaswar Abdulwahid was released from prison in January after serving several months in a defamation case
Tucker Carlson claims he was detained at Israeli airport
DUBAI: Earlier this week, Tucker Carlson flew to Israel to interview US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, according to media reports.
Carlson, who reportedly refused to leave Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport complex, conducted the interview at the airport, after which he said he and his staff were detained and their passports were seized.
“Men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” Carlson said in a statement to The New York Post.
However, Carlson’s claims have been contradicted by Huckabee and Israeli authorities.
Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and Fox News host, said on social media platform X that “EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions,” including himself, despite holding a diplomatic passport and visa.
Thanks @EFischberger for a more accurate report. EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions. Even ME going in/out with Diplomatic Passport & Diplomatic Visa. https://t.co/UbblLiznMO
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 18, 2026
The US Embassy in Israel also described the interaction as routine passport control procedures.
The Israel Airports Authority said in a statement that Carlson and his staff “were not detained, delayed, or interrogated.”
They were asked “a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers,” and this conversation took place in a separate room within the VIP lounge to protect their privacy, the statement added.
“No unusual incident occurred, and the Israel Airports Authority firmly rejects any other claims.”
Israeli Airports Authority:
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) February 18, 2026
Contrary to the reports, Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, delayed, or interrogated.
Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers.
The…
Carlson has faced criticism in recent years over his commentary on Israel, with critics accusing him of amplifying narratives that are hostile to Israel and, at times, antisemitic. He has also questioned Israel’s treatment of Christian communities in the region.
After Fox News canceled his show in April 2023, he launched his own program, “The Tucker Carlson Show” in 2024.
The show has featured controversial figures, including Darryl Cooper, who has made statements widely condemned as Holocaust denial, and white nationalist commentator Nick Fuentes.
In his interview with Fuentes, Carlson labeled Huckabee a “Christian Zionist.”
Carlson has also criticized Huckabee for not doing enough to protect Christian interests in the region. In one video, he said: “Why not go ahead and talk to Christians and find out their side of the story? Why aren’t American Christian leaders like Mike Huckabee or Ted Cruz, people who invoke the Christian Bible to justify what they’re doing, why haven’t they done this?”
Huckabee responded to the video on X, writing: “Instead of talking ABOUT me, why don’t you come talk TO me? You seem to be generating a lot of heat about the Middle East. Why be afraid of the light?”
Carlson accepted the invitation, and their teams coordinated the interview, leading to his brief visit to Israel.
