A number of the protesting teachers in front of the General Directorate of Education in Sulaymaniyah. Photo: 964media
For social media comments
Sulaymaniyah teachers volunteer to support colleagues facing legal action
SULAYMANIYAH — In Sulaymaniyah, a group of teachers has taken a stand to support their peers facing legal challenges imposed by the local education directorate, following their involvement in long-running strikes.
This collective effort is aimed at defending those who have suffered consequences such as penalties, relocations, or summons for expressing their opinions on social media.
Shna Ali, representing the solidarity group, shared with 964media, “Our group is composed of seven teachers committed to safeguarding our colleagues who’ve faced punitive actions or legal summons by the education directorate for their social media commentary. We’re supported by a lawyer to navigate the legal aspects of these cases.”
To date, the education directorate has summoned 300 teachers to its legal department, with the number of volunteering educators offering support continuing to rise daily. “The grievances of these teachers range from being marked absent due to participating in the boycott, to transfers and summons related to their social media activity,” Ali detailed.
A high-ranking official from the Sulaymaniyah General Directorate of Education acknowledged the situation, noting that the summons were primarily in response to negative remarks directed at education authorities on social platforms. “A minority of individuals have misconstrued statements from education officials, leading to the spread of derogatory comments online. Consequently, legal actions have been initiated against these educators, who are now facing proceedings in accordance with the law,” the official explained.
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