ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi High Commission for Human Right (IHCHR) issued a statement on Monday demanding security forces at checkpoints in Baghdad facilitate the traffic of health workers and journalists amid COVID-19 as it received “appeals” from health care staff and journalists over restrictions on their work.

The IHCHR demand comes as the Iraqi Council of Ministers imposed a countrywide curfew on May 19 during the normally bustling and revelrous post-Ramadan Eid holiday after a sustained uptick in new coronavirus cases in Iraqi provinces, particularly the capital city of Baghdad.

“The Commission confirms receiving many appeals from medical and health personnel, journalists and media workers on restricting their work and obstructing their movement,” IHCHR wrote in the statement.

It added that security forces in Baghdad are “canceling exceptions previously granted to them [health staff and journalists] in most of Baghdad’s checkpoints.”

However, the commission also wrote that governments are entitled to take necessary preventive measures during pandemics and outbreaks, but it has to be “implemented legally,” and does not affect fundamental human rights principles such as, “transparency, the right to access information, and freedom of press.”

Movements and works of health care workers, journalists, and NGOs should be facilitated and allowed with necessary documents during imposed curfews due to COVID-19, per the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Interior orders since the implementation of curfews.

“We consider the media a key partner in facing the [COVID-19] pandemic, along with the medical staff, and we have taken the necessary measures to facilitate the work of media professionals and journalists,” Yehia Rasool, the spokesperson of the Iraqi Commander-in-Chief and Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, wrote on Twitter.

As of Tuesday, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, is 4,632 cases and 163 fatalities, and 2, 811 patients have recovered.