A columnist and online commentator known for his writing on corruption, Sherwani was first arrested in 2019 in connection to two articles he wrote. He was rearrested in October 2020 for allegedly collecting information on the KRG and passing it to foreign entities, and sentenced to 6 years in prison. After a presidential decree, his sentence was initially reduced, but in July 2023 was increased again by 4 years.
