Iraq

Amid record journalist deaths in Gaza, Syria, and Yemen, GCHR warns impunity is deepening repression and calls for urgent measures to protect free expression.

ARTICLE 19 reviews the draft Right to Information Act prepared by the Government of Iraq and finds that in its current form, it is incompatible with international standards on the right to information.

The report examines the use of digital targeting by security forces and its far-reaching offline consequences – including arbitrary detention and torture – in five countries: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunisia.

This report takes stock of progress made towards accountability for the killing and injuring of protesters and activists committed during, and in the wake of, the 2019-2020 uprising across central and southern Iraq.

A mission to Iraq found that human rights defenders, journalists and activists still hold onto hope for an end to the extreme human rights violations, but urgently need international support to help promote human rights, press freedom and accountability.

This report issued by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) documents over a dozen cases of torture in Iraqi prisons, which are described as some of the most horrific prisons in the world, where continuous torture practices take place in the absence of any effective government measures to prevent or at least limit them.

This research shows how the U.S. Department of Defense’s biometric programme was developed and implemented without prior assessment of its human rights impact and without the safeguards necessary to prevent its abuse. Its whereabouts and current use today remain unclear.

The Communications and Media Commission (CMC) withdrew the television broadcast licenses of Al-Baghdadiya in March and Qatar’s Al-Jazeera in April for what critics said were political reasons.

Through this report the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) aims to highlight cases of ongoing killings, attacks and threats against journalists and other media workers in four countries, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, and makes recommendations to enhance their protection using international mechanisms including the United Nations system.

Iraq had one of the highest murder rates for journalists in the world. Among those killed were Thaer al-Ali, editor in chief of the Mosul newspaper Rai al-Nas, and Jalaa al-Abadi, a cameraman for the Nineveh Reports’ Network.

Ranked 159 in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 157th in annual global media freedom report

“Authorities silence journalists using detentions, raids, and litigation”

Ranked 153rd in annual press freedom index

Broadcast licenses of 10 pro-Sunni televisions stations revoked

Ranked 153rd in annual global media freedom report

“Academic institutions operate in a highly politicised and insecure environment”

Badly Written Provisions and Draconian Punishments Violate Due Process and Free Speech

“In April Iraq’s parliament approved a Journalists’ Protection Law, intended to protect media workers and compensate them for injuries sustained while working”

Iraq’s impunity rate, “three times worse than any other nation”

Iraq fell 22 places, from 130th to 152nd in annual press freedom index