HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan region,— The caretaker Kurdistan Regional Government on Thursday imposed a ban on media outlets and social media platforms from reporting on crime incidents in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, citing concerns for public order and individual safety. “No channels or social media pages are allowed to cover or publish images or videos of crime incidents, suspects, or the place and time of crimes,” the government said in a statement. The move came after a formal request from the Independent Human Rights Commission in the Kurdistan Region, a state body that monitors rights issues. That event intensified debate over the spread of firearms across the Kurdistan Region. In 2022, Iraqi Kurdistan passed a weapons law that tightened control over ownership.