On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day…The Iraqi Women Journalists Forum documents over 85 violations against journalists within one year, including 12 cases targeting female journalists through threats, abuse, harassment, and legal actions(May 3, 2024 – May 3, 2025)

Prepared by the Monitoring and Documentation Unit at the Iraqi Women Journalists Forum (IWJF)

Introduction:
Despite the passage of 20 years since the adoption of the Iraqi Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of the press and media, these rights continue to face systematic violations by local and security authorities, as well as by some influential political entities. In addition, the policies of official media institutions impose restrictive censorship on media content, limiting freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

The report is based on a methodology of field monitoring and direct documentation of violations, along with analysis of official public policies related to media freedom, creativity, peaceful protest, and women’s rights within the media sector.

These are the core issues that the Iraqi Women Journalists Forum has focused on monitoring and documenting, in addition to providing legal support to the victims of these violations through the organization’s legal clinic.

The report documented and analyzed patterns of violations and incidents observed during the period from May 3, 2024 to May 3, 2025, based on the monitoring and documentation methodology adopted by the Iraqi Women Journalists Forum. It recorded six official decisions that included governmental and administrative measures deemed threatening to media freedom, freedom of expression, and the right to protest—rights that are guaranteed under the current 2005 Iraqi Constitution. The report also highlighted the stalled progress in passing legislation aimed at regulating the media sector.

During this period, over 85 violations against journalists were recorded, ranging from killings, arrests, detentions, and threats to restrictions on media coverage and physical assaults. Additionally, 12 cases involved female journalists who were subjected to harassment, cyber extortion, institutional violence, legal action, and workplace discrimination within media institutions.

The Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression Monitoring Report in Iraq is divided into five main sections, through which the report aims to highlight key public policies and practices affecting media freedom and expression, along with an analysis of the most prominent patterns of violations during the reporting period and proposed remedies:

1. Executive and legislative actions
2. Freedom of the media, expression, and peaceful protest
3. Freedom of creativity
4. Discrimination and abuse against women
5. Recommendations

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1. Executive, Administrative, and Legislative Decisions and Measures

• The legislative authority continues to refrain from passing a set of fundamental laws related to media freedom, including the Law on Freedom of Expression and Peaceful Protest and the Right to Access Information Law. This constitutes a breach of Iraq’s obligations under the international conventions and treaties it has ratified. Additionally, the Communications and Media Commission Law remains stalled, and no amendments have been made to improve the Journalists’ Rights Law.
• The Ministry of Communications submitted a request to the Council of Ministers to block the “TikTok” app, citing the lack of scientific or educational value and claiming it contributes to the “disintegration of Iraqi social fabric.”
• The ministry also decided to block the website of “ABC Arabic” within Iraq without prior notice or explanation, raising concerns about restrictions on the free flow of information.
• On October 19, 2024, the Board of Commissioners at the Communications and Media Commission (CMC) issued a statement directing the cancellation of MBC Iraq’s broadcasting license, citing violations of broadcasting regulations by the satellite channel.
• On October 27, 2024, CMC Chairman Ali Hussein Al-Muayyad issued a directive banning the appearance or hosting of political analysts Intifadh Qanbar and Thaer Al-Bayati on any Iraqi media outlets.
• On March 28, 2025, the CMC issued another directive banning political analyst Basheer Al-Hujaymi from appearing in any Iraqi media until further notice, without providing any public justification for the ban.

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2. Media Freedom, Freedom of Expression, and Peaceful Protest

During the reporting period, the Iraqi Women Journalists Forum (IWJF) documented the continued targeting of journalists by security forces in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region, as well as by certain local authorities. These actions included beatings, arrests, detentions, home raids, and the destruction of media equipment.

Regarding the right to protest and peaceful assembly—and media coverage of such events—the Forum observed a rise in violations against journalists and media organizations covering these activities. A total of 85 violations were documented, including killings, detentions, imprisonment, prevention of coverage, physical assault, equipment confiscation, harassment, blackmail, and legal accusations. These incidents occurred across multiple Iraqi provinces, including 12 cases targeting female journalists.

A notable incident occurred on May 22, 2024, when the head of the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate revoked the accreditation of Al-Dustour newspaper after it published a report about his exemption from de-Baathification procedures—an act widely viewed as a clear infringement on press freedom.

In another alarming precedent, on June 9, 2024, the president of the Iraqi Media Network issued a formal warning against sports show host Ghazwan Shaker over a Facebook post, which he deemed personally directed at him. This step reflects an escalating trend of surveillance over the personal opinions of employees in official media institutions.

A table below presents selected documented cases of violations:

No.	Date	Case Description
1	25/04/2024	The Iraqi judiciary issues a summons warrant against Amal Ali, a presenter at I News channel, without stating the reasons.
2	03/05/2024	TV presenter Sahar Abbas Jameel faces an organized defamation and smear campaign on social media, accusing a powerful politician in an Iraqi ministry of being behind it, following her coverage of corruption files in state institutions.
3	05/05/2024	Sahar Abbas Jameel files a lawsuit against MP Mustafa Sanad after he directly accused and defamed her via WhatsApp groups.
4	06/05/2024	Media crews are banned from covering the Qaysariya market fire incident in Erbil; a photojournalist is physically assaulted while on duty.
5	09/05/2024	NRT channel crew detained while covering a protest in Balkana village, Kirkuk province.
6	12/05/2024	KNN channel is banned from filming in Dibis district by army forces in Kirkuk.
7	10/05/2024	The Minister of Endowments’ security team in the Kurdistan Region prevents five media crews from performing their duties during a seminar at the Polytechnic University in Erbil.
8	08/05/2024	The Iraqi judiciary sentences sports presenter Haider Zaki to four months in prison under publishing crime charges.
9	20/05/2024	Journalist Shaker Sattar is arrested by security forces in Erbil on his return from Sulaymaniyah, with no reasons disclosed.
10	22/05/2024	The head of the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, Moaid Al-Lami, revokes the accreditation of Al-Dustour newspaper over a report regarding his exemption from de-Baathification procedures.
11	27/05/2024	A journalist is detained in Erbil and his equipment confiscated to prevent coverage of a press event.
12	27/05/2024	AFP correspondent Asaad Niazi appears in court in Dhi Qar over his media activity.
13	02/06/2024	Security forces in Dhi Qar confiscate media equipment to prevent coverage of oil contract workers’ protests.
14	06/06/2024	Security personnel in Wasit prevent Alsumaria TV crew from covering security conditions in the province and hinder their work.
15	09/06/2024	The head of the Iraqi Media Network issues a warning to presenter Ghazwan Shaker over a Facebook post deemed offensive to the network’s president.
16	10/06/2024	Erbil court detains NRT correspondent Hirsh Qadir for over five hours in a cell due to a lawsuit filed by the regional prime minister over a past report.
17	12/06/2024	Dijlah TV correspondent Rassem Kareem appears before court in Dhi Qar following a lawsuit by the provincial council.
18	13/06/2024	Security personnel in Sulaymaniyah prevent four media teams from covering environmental protests against companies in the region.
19	14/06/2024	Riot police brutally assault crew from the Civilizations News Agency during coverage of a football match between Nasiriyah and Ramadi, destroying their equipment.
20	26/06/2024	Police in Shiladze sub-district, Dohuk, arrest a news agency reporter over a lawsuit by the municipal director after he exposed corruption.
21	22/07/2024	Former PM Mustafa Al-Kadhimi files a lawsuit against writer and journalist Qais Hassan over a statement calling him “Iraq’s worst PM.”
22	30/07/2024	A security officer from the PMF prevents media crews from entering the Basra Museum to cover an event, with no explanation given.
23	19/08/2024	Alsumaria crew is detained by the Rusafa police chief during coverage of health profession protests in Baghdad and prevented from working.
24	19/08/2024	Kurdish security forces assault a press crew in Halabja, causing severe bruises to Zoom News reporter Avin Ata during local protest coverage.
25	21/08/2024	The Ministry of Communications blocks the ABC Arabic agency’s website within Iraq without prior notice or explanation.
26	23/08/2024	Two female journalists killed in a Turkish airstrike targeting a vehicle carrying three journalists in Tabeh Rash village, Sulaymaniyah.
27	12/09/2024	Presenter Sahar Abbas Jameel appears in court following a lawsuit by MP Mustafa Sanad over corruption accusations.
28	17/09/2024	The Communications and Media Commission issues a circular listing approved legal guests allowed to appear on media programs.
29	19/09/2024	The Iraqi Bar Association sues TV presenter Hussam Al-Hajj, accusing him of falsifying facts and misleading public opinion in a show.
30	19/09/2024	A female journalist is harassed and blackmailed during a job interview at a satellite TV channel.
31	22/09/2024	A female journalist files a lawsuit against a person who blackmailed her during a job interview at a media institution.
32	11/11/2024	The management of South Islamic Bank files a lawsuit against Al-Rasheed TV presenter Yasser Ammar for revealing a bank document on his show.
33	15/12/2024	Security guards for the Minister of Electricity brutally assault journalists in Basra while they perform their duties.
34	26/12/2025	Journalist Zainab Rabee receives a lawsuit notice from the Prime Minister over her social media posts.
35	01/01/2025	A security force raids the home of Al-Baghdadiya presenter Ali Al-Khayal and takes him to an unknown location with no explanation.
36	15/03/2025	Karkh court in Baghdad summons journalist Haider Al-Hamdani after the Prime Minister filed a complaint accusing him of media defamation.
37	12/03/2025	Journalist Laith Mohammed Redha is killed by a merchant’s son in Baghdad’s Karrada, sparking public outrage.
38	09/04/2025	MP Mahmoud Al-Qaisi files a lawsuit against journalist Hussein Al-Fayez, director of Arai News, over a report deemed offensive.
39	29/04/2025	The Ministry of Justice sues journalist Haider Al-Hamdani, accusing him of defamation in previous media reports.

Third: Freedom of Creative Expression

• Iraqi Drama under Political Criticism:
  In a notable escalation, on March 2, 2025, the leader of the Sadrist Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, described Iraqi drama as “almost entirely lacking in content, with rare exceptions, often detached from Iraqi reality and filled with lies.” He added that “watching it amounts to aiding in sin,” and called for avoiding it during the holy month of Ramadan.
• Response from the Iraqi Artists Syndicate:
  The Iraqi Artists Syndicate issued a statement asserting that “Iraqi drama reflects societal realities and addresses its issues and concerns,” calling for support of artists and creatives instead of undermining their efforts.

Fourth: Discrimination and Abuse Against Women

• The Legal Clinic at the Iraqi Women Journalists Forum (IWJF) received a large number of complaints from women journalists across various specialties reporting discriminatory practices and harassment within media institutions. Several female journalists pointed to clear inequality in access to workshops, conferences, official interviews, and media delegations, as well as their exclusion from leadership roles and decision-making positions.
• Cases were documented involving the arbitrary dismissal of four women journalists without prior notice, a consequence of the absence of formal employment contracts that would protect their professional rights, making it difficult for them to secure alternative employment in a short period.
• IWJF monitoring revealed that some media institutions continue to perpetuate stereotypical representations of women through the content of their programs and dramas, without benefiting from regional and international experiences that have successfully promoted women’s images and empowered them, particularly through drama aimed at combating gender-based violence, especially domestic violence and its social repercussions.
• The Forum also noted a significant lack of programs dedicated to women’s issues, with a predominant focus on entertainment and variety shows, neglecting core topics that affect women’s lives.
• On another front, online abuse against female journalists persists, as their professional roles are often conflated with stereotypes associated with influencers and fashion bloggers. This serves to justify insults and violations against them within media institutions and in public life, posing a serious threat to their professional standing and respect.

Fifth: Recommendations

• The Iraqi Women Journalists Forum (IWJF) urges the Iraqi Parliament and government to expedite the enactment of the Right to Access Information Law and the Freedom of Assembly and Peaceful Protest Law, as essential legal guarantees for freedom of expression and the promotion of democratic practices.
• IWJF emphasizes the need for all security institutions to respect constitutional rights to freedom of expression, media, and peaceful protest, and to refrain entirely from using violence against journalists and citizens, whether during media coverage or protest participation.
• The Forum also calls on relevant security bodies to ensure full protection for male and female journalists from the risks of abduction, assassination, and blackmail, and to provide a safe environment for journalistic work marked by freedom and responsibility.
• With regard to the Kurdistan Region, IWJF urges the regional government to immediately release detainees imprisoned for expressing their views and to end all forms of targeting and restriction of journalists, including exclusion from media work due to their opinions.
• IWJF further stresses that poor content should not be addressed through censorship or repression, but through educational and awareness programs and prior warnings about potential legal consequences, in order to foster a legal culture among media users and social media audiences.
• In this context, the Forum calls on the Parliamentary Committees on Culture and Media and on Women’s Affairs to intensify oversight of female journalists’ conditions in both public and private media institutions, and to monitor fairness in employment, representation, and participation in decision-making, while ensuring non-discrimination based on gender.
• IWJF also calls on all media organizations to organize training workshops for journalists to help them address threats and digital blackmail, and to safely handle social media content in a way that upholds a respectable image of male and female media professionals.
• The Forum concludes its recommendations by calling on the Iraqi Media Network to allocate sufficient space for programming that addresses women’s issues, and to ensure gender equality in the production and presentation of such content, thereby promoting fair and equitable media representation of Iraqi women.