Suleiman Ahmed, a Syrian Kurdish journalist and editor for Roj News, was arrested on 25 October 2023 at the Fish Khabur border crossing while returning to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq after visiting his family in Syria. He was detained by Asayish security forces and held incommunicado for several months. On 29 July 2024, he was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of espionage for allegedly working with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a claim he denied. His trial was widely criticised for lacking evidence and due process. On 06 January 2025, the Kurdistan Region Court of Appeals overturned his conviction and ordered his immediate release. He was freed on 20 January 2025 and subsequently returned to Syria to reunite with his family.