Iraqi artist and human rights defender Ahmed Falah finds refuge in Norway
A single cartoon drove Ahmed Falah to five years uncertainty in exile in Jakarta. Now one of Iraq’s most influential and controversial cartoonists, he is safely in Norway with the ICORN programme, where he can continue to work freely without fear of persecution.
Iraq: Journalist Haidar Al-Hamdani threatened at his home
The words “Wanted for Blood,” a term often used to threaten people during disputes between Iraqi tribes, were painted on the front door of his family’s home in Al-Rumaitha.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, journalists are victim of political tension
Authorities are shuttering news outlets and arresting critical reporters.
Targeting of activists and journalists continues in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan
GCHR urges the authorities in Kurdistan and the federal authorities in Iraq to respect public freedoms and refrain from targeting journalists and activists.
Iraqi photojournalist Samer Ali Hussain killed in unknown circumstances
GCHR is calling on Iraqi authorities to conduct an independent, impartial and thorough investigation into Hussain’s murder.
Continuing arrests of Basra protesters and four more demonstrators reported killed
Reports received by the GCHR confirmed that random arrests continue in September in Basra of dozens of demonstrators who participated in recent protests.
Iraqi security forces used tear gas and live bullets to disperse protesters in Basra
The casualty toll in Basra has “reached 68 injured, including 41 civilians and 27 members of the security forces, with five dead demonstrators.”
Iraqi authorities obstruct media coverage of protests
With arrests and intimidation of journalists and Internet blocking, coverage of a major wave of protests in Iraq since the start of the July has been difficult and dangerous for the media.
Covering corruption exposes journalists to arrest in Iraq
RSF condemns 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.
TV crews assaulted, detained covering protests in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq
The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on the Kurdistan Regional Government to investigate immediately attacks against local journalists covering regional protests.
IFJ and its affiliate the Kurdistan Journalists Union (KJS) call for press freedom ahead of Iraqi elections
“We call on the Iraqi authorities to investigate these attacks against the press and respect the right of journalists to report freely and safely,” said IFJ.
Kurdistan Regional Government detains protesters, suppresses criticism
The detained protesters were held for up to 8 days without being taken before a judge and were forced, before being released, to sign commitments not to protest or be critical of the government on social media.
Iraqi Kurdistan: The IFJ warns about media freedom violations in the region
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has denounced the multiple media freedom violations in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, documented in a new report by IFJ affiliate the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate.
Alarming violence against journalists in northern Iraq
RSF condemns the murder of a Kurdistan TV cameraman near Kirkuk and violence against media personnel by demonstrators in Erbil. The two separate incidents in the space of a few hours point to an alarming decline in the security of journalists in northern Iraq.
Media targeted in Kurdistan referendum tension
After the historic referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan on 25 September 2017 and the resulting tension at the local, regional and international levels, RSF reminds the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of the need to safeguard the right to criticise in what is now an increasingly uncertain political environment.
Shifting security situation for journalists in Iraq
Despite the decline of the Islamic State group’s presence in Iraq, the country is no more stable. The reemergence of Shia militias is blurring defined front lines and has elevated general risks for journalists in the region.