By John Lee. Iraq has fallen in the World Press Freedom Index for 2026, ranking 162nd out of 180 countries, down seven places on last year. The result puts Iraq behind countries such as Cuba and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but ahead of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. First place went to Norway, with […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Baghdad's authority in question after US journalist's capture and release Seen by observers as an acute security failure, the abduction of Shelly Kittleson has also complicated already fraught relations between Iraq and the […]
By John Lee. [Update, 8th April: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) confirmed the release of Ms Kittleson on 7th April.] Associated Press reports that American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped in Baghdad on 31 March, has been released. The release followed a statement by the Iran-aligned Kata'ib Hizbollah militia, which said it had […]
By John Lee. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on the Iraqi authorities to do everything in their power to secure the immediate release of Shelley Kittleson, the American freelance journalist who was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday. The IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "We demand the immediate and unconditional release of […]
By John Lee. Al-Monitor has confirmed that the American journalist kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday was Shelly Kittleson, an Al-Monitor contributor. Ms Kittleson, a freelancer, has also reported for BBC World Service, Politico, Foreign Policy and others. A statement from Iraq's Ministry of Interior said that a foreign journalist has been kidnapped by unidentified individuals, […]
By John Lee. The Ministry of Interior has issued new guidelines restricting the publication and circulation of images and information related to security incidents, citing the need to protect sensitive locations and maintain stability. The ministry called on media organisations and the public to comply fully with official instructions and to act responsibly in handling ongoing […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Memo geared to ban calls for regime change boomerangs in Iraq A judicial drama is brewing in Iraq following the surfacing of a memo that criminalizes calls for the overthrow of the political […]
From Article 19. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq: Cooperation with Big Tech must not put freedom of expression at risk ARTICLE 19 is deeply concerned over the growing collaboration between Iraq's Communication and Media Commission (CMC) and major social media […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Communications has confirmed the decision to block access to the IMDb movie database, citing what it says is its promotion of "inappropriate and unethical" content. Nabil Abdul Baqi, General Manager of the Al-Salam State Company [Peace Company], a government body under the control of the Communications Ministry, stated that […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Prime Minister has said that the state-run Iraqi Media Network (IMN) should give an, "accurate, professional representation of the positive developments in [Iraq]." At a meeting with Thaer Hateet Al-Ghanimi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of IMN, Prime Minister Al-Sudani emphasized the key role of the Board in strengthening […]
By Amnesty International. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq: Authorities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq must immediately end their assault on press freedom The authorities of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) must end their assault on the right to […]
By Amnesty International. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq: Draft laws threaten rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly The Iraqi government has re-introduced two draft laws to the Parliament which, if passed, would severely curtail the rights to freedom […]
