Iraq: Withdraw problematic draft Right to Information Act
ARTICLE 19 finds the draft RTI Act to be incompatible with international standards, citing excessive restrictions on information access.
After 8 months in detention, Syrian journalist Sleman Ahmed faces spying charges in Iraq
“Accusing Sleman Ahmed of espionage and holding him for months before giving him access to his lawyers is yet another setback to press freedom in Iraqi Kurdistan.” – CPJ
Syrian journalists threatened with arrest and deportation by neighbouring states
“If sent back to Syria, one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, they risk imminent arrest and even death.” – RSF
Iraq authorities threaten to ban TikTok
Freedom of expression fears grow with a proposal to ban the online platform, unveiling broader censorship concerns.
Iraq: Women journalists ‘under the guillotine’ from media directors’ harassment
Survey finds 41% of women journalists have been victims of some form of harassment.
Surge in harassment of journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan
Around 20 journalists have been arrested since the start of 2023.
Iraqi authorities must cease their chilling crackdown on free speech
In a joint statement, rights groups denounce Iraqi crackdown on ‘indecent content’ online as a threat to free speech.
Digital targeting and its offline consequences for LGBTQI+ people in MENA
A new report examines how several authorities in the region have integrated technology into their policing of LGBTQI+ people.
Iraq’s new platform to combat “indecent content” sparks censorship fears
Critics warn government platform for reporting social media content violating public morals could infringe on freedom of expression.
Iraq: No justice for protester deaths
Government promises to hold perpetrators responsible for the vicious violence against peaceful protesters remain unfulfilled.
Iraq: Cybercrime Draft Law in suspension?
Reintroduced legislation would give authorities the right to monitor and prosecute citizens for their social media posts and suppress free expression, reports Social Media Exchange (SMEX).
Iraq: Gender-based violence workshop in Basra stormed by National Security Service forces
GCHR calls on authorities to stop the serious violations targeting the peaceful and legitimate work of civil society organizations in the province.
“They will not shoot down our dream”: Challenges faced by human rights defenders in Iraq
New report examines the increasingly hostile environment for human rights defenders and activists following Iraq’s October 2019 demonstrations.
Iraq: Activists tortured in some of the ‘most horrific prisons in the world’
A new report by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) documents how in the absence of effective legal mechanisms holding perpetrators accountable, Iraqi civil society activists continue to face torture in detention.