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 […]
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'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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the arrests to which two investigative reporters have been subjected in different parts of Iraq in the past few days in connection with their coverage of corruption, and calls for an end to the harassment of these journalists. The latest victim was Mostafa Hamed, a reporter based in Fallujah, […]
