The Iraqi Penal Code calls for harsh punishment against those who libel or defame others. The penalty for such actions ranges from a fine to imprisonment, depending on the violation's magnitude. But though offenders are being charged under the existing code, Iraqi legislation doesn't explicitly refer to hate speech or provoking strife. Thus, many people see a need for specific legislation, in compliance with national and international human rights procedures, that defines what qualifies as socially disruptive without infringing on freedom of expression.
Iraqi parliament member Ali al-Bedeiri insists on the need to pass a law making a criminal of anyone capable of dividing the Iraqi people and creating sectarian conflict through traditional and social media or any other platform. Bedeiri told Al-Monitor, “The absence of a law that criminalizes such actions [obstructs] the capacity of the authorities to punish and pursue the culprits" in a consistent manner.
Although some human rights organizations have tried for years to get the Iraqi parliament to draft a law that criminalizes hate speech, the attempt has been unsuccessful because many in the legislature aren't exactly motivated to pass such a law. The political blocs in parliament own dozens of media outlets promoting hate speech and sectarianism, and they assign people from their parties to manage the outlets. For this reason, politicians aren't eager to hold those outlets accountable.
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