By Mustafa Saadoun for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Killers target activists performing logistics for Iraqi protests Forces opposed to the protests in Iraq appear to have stepped up operations to kill protest activists and journalists covering the demonstrations […]
Tag Archives | press freedom
Democracy in Iraq Depends on Press Freedom
By Ignacio Miguel Delgado Culebras, for Foreign Policy. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. A group of armed men wearing black uniforms stormed into my house in Baghdad and abducted me,” Iraqi blogger Shojaa Fares al-Khafaji told me a few days […]
Iraq Clamps Down on Media Covering Protests
By Mustafa Saadoun for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq clamps down on media and broadcast networks covering protests For the first time, the Iraqi National Communications and Media Commission shut down or gave warnings to 17 media institutions for covering the […]
Iraq orders Closure of 12 News Outlets
Iraq’s media regulator should reverse its decision to order the closure of 12 broadcasters over a licensing dispute and should allow media outlets to freely cover protests in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on Monday. On November 12, the Communications and Media Commission (CMC), Iraq’s media regulator, ordered the closure of […]
Tags: censorship, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Communications and Media Commission (CMC), featured, Human rights, journalism, mn, press freedom
Arrests for Voicing Protest Solidarity
By John Lee. Authorities in Anbar governorate are suppressing the right of residents to show support for demonstrations elsewhere in the country, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said. In recent days, they have arrested two men for merely posting messages of solidarity on Facebook, questioned a third, and sent a fourth into hiding. More here. […]
Tags: Anbar, censorship, Facebook, featured, Human rights, Human Rights Watch (HRW), mn, press freedom, Protests, social media
US calls for Lifting of Restrictions on Iraqi Press
Press Statement by US Secretary of State, Michael R. Pompeo (pictured), on the situation in Iraq: The United States welcomes any serious efforts made by the Government of Iraq to address the ongoing problems in Iraqi society. The Government of Iraq should listen to the legitimate demands made by the Iraqi people who have taken […]
CPJ: Journalists Injured and Detained, Broadcasters Banned
Journalists injured and detained, broadcasters banned as protests resume in Iraq On Tuesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned recent attacks on journalists and media outlets in Iraq, and urged authorities to ensure that journalists can cover the ongoing protests in the country safely and without obstruction. After a brief lull, anti-corruption and unemployment […]
Tags: censorship, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), featured, Human rights, journalism, mn, press freedom, Protests
Activists, Journalists “Leave Baghdad in Fear of Arrest”
By Mustafa Saadoun for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Civil society activists and journalists leave Baghdad in fear of being arrested On Oct. 9, an Iraqi journalist left Baghdad for Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, […]
Iraq Suspends US-Funded Broadcaster
On Tuesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Iraqi Communications and Media Committee (CMC) to reverse its three-month suspension of the U.S. government-funded Iraqi broadcaster Al-Hurra. In a statement released yesterday, Iraq’s media regulator, the Communications and Media Committee, suspended the license of Al-Hurra, a regional broadcaster funded by the U.S. Agency […]
Tags: Al-Hurra, censorship, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Communications and Media Commission (CMC), Corruption, featured, mn, press freedom, Shiite Endowment, Sunni Endowment, U.S. Agency for Global Media
Iraq may Ban some Video Games
By John Lee. Iraq is reportedly considering banning several popular video games over fears that they encourage violence and crime. MP Sami’a Ghulab, who chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, Information, Tourism, and Archaeology, is quoted as saying that games such as Fortnite, Apex Legends and PlayerUnkown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) are “affecting the social, psychological and educational […]
Tags: Apex Legends, featured, Fortnite, freedom, Human rights, mn, moral panic, parliament, PlayerUnkown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), press freedom, video games
“Draconian” Cybercrimes Law threatens Freedom of Expression
A new cybercrimes law that would impose heavy prison sentences and hefty fines against peaceful critics who express themselves online would be a devastating setback for freedom of expression in Iraq, Amnesty International has said. The organization has highlighted its serious concern over the draft “Law on Information Technology Crimes” in an open letter signed […]
Internet Shutdowns Cost Iraq $40m/day
By John Lee. An Iraqi government block on internet access is reportedly costing the country $40 million per day in lost business, sales and opportunities. The estimate is from the COST tool, based on the Brookings Institution economic impact methodology for internet shutdowns, using data collected by the NetBlocks internet shutdown observatory in collaboration with […]