Iraq
From the Communiqué
11 April 2012
A bill on "information-technology crimes" with particularly broad wording and harsh punishments is due to come before Iraq's parliament this month. More than 40 IFEX members and partners have banded together to try to stop it, at the initiative of ARTICLE 19 and Access Now.
14 September 2011

Iraqi journalist, filmmaker and playwright Hadi al-Mahdi was well known for his missives to the government, his demands for peace, and more recently, as a leading organiser of Iraq's recent pro-democracy protests. But for his actions he has paid with his life. On 8 September, he was shot dead in his home in Baghdad in an apparently targeted attack to silence him, report Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI).
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Campaigns and Advocacy
5 April 2012
An open letter by 44 organisations calls Iraq's proposed Information Technology Crimes law a threat to the fundamental freedoms necessary for the evolution of free speech and a vibrant press. The law will come to vote in the Iraqi Council of Representatives in April.
27 October 2011
The Draft Law cites, as its basis, multiple negative consequences of the "information revolution" without acknowledging the positive role technology performs in today's society, not least of all in enhancing the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. The Draft Law provides no guarantees for the right to freedom of expression or freedom of information.
6 May 2011
The anniversary of Osman's murder comes at a time of tension as journalists are constantly the targets of death threats, acts of intimidation, physical attacks and murder attempts.
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Reports
22 February 2011
The 102-page report calls on the government to protect the rights of vulnerable groups and amend laws that violate freedom of speech.
4 November 2010
In a new report titled, "Between Freedom and Abuses: The Media Paradox in Iraqi Kurdistan", RSF reviews the political and historical circumstances surrounding the growth of media outlets in the region.
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