During 2018, Freedom of expression and press freedom in Iraq witnessed murders, assaults, arrests, and confiscations. Despite Iraq survived ISIS and achieved victory against it in 2017, repression did not end.

As usual in Iraq, journalists were the main victim of repression, as they experienced raids on houses, arrests and enforced disappearance.

Moreover, targeting celebrities, beauty queens and LGBT individuals, was a phenomenon this year. Two murder cases took place in Iraq, the first victim was a model and a former miss Baghdad, the second was a 16-year-old boy on charges of that he is homosexual.

Iraqi authorities, on facing “collective cheating” phenomenon, resorted to blocking social media, not to mention facing protests against unemployment and high prices in Busra and southern Iraqi cities with blocking Facebook for more than two weeks.

NGO activists underwent violations too, as they were arrested along with those who showed solidarity with them, like lawyer Bassem Khashan.

The following are some examples of violations witnessed in Iraq in 2018:

Violations against Freedom of Expression and Press Freedom

• On 30th March, security forces, in Iraqi Kurdistan, arrested dozens of journalists who were protesting against economic policies, high prices, and delayed salaries.

During the arrest, journalists were beaten and mistreated which led to critical injuries in body and head. Some of them were transferred to hospitals.

Aaras Aziz, Motleb Khoshoi, reporters of Beyam TV channel, Yasser Abdul Rahman, reporter of Sobeida channel in Dhok, reporter of Khandan and journalist Dalshad Himo, all were arrested and have been beaten.

Some were tortured like Hani Showani, reporter of Dowaroz website, inside a security center in Erbil.

• On 14th May 2018, unknown persons assaulted journalists, reporters, and media workers during their coverage of elections in Iraqi Kurdistan, some of them were victims of physical violence and threat as the unknown persons shot bullets in the air.

Violations included journalists detention, preventing them from coverage and confiscating the TV channels equipment.

The most prominent channels which suffered violations, as their crews were physically assaulted and prevented from performing their job, were NRT, Kurdistan TV, Khandan, Suleimania TV, Kurdistan 24 and Sabi website.

• On 21st July 2018, security forces assaulted journalist Eissa Atwani, from Babel governorate, during his coverage of demonstrations demanding economic reform.

Atwani was walking behind the demonstrations, as the security forces started to shoot towards the protesters, at this moment he was arrested.

Atwani showed his ID as a journalist, explaining to security forces that he is on site for press coverage, yet, they physically assaulted him causing injuries and breaking his hands.

With aid from a friend, he escaped this assault and was transferred to hospital.

• On 1st October 2018, security forces arrested Seif Azzawi, founder and director of “Azamia news” which is followed by more than 1 million followers on Facebook.

Some armed forces, uncovering its identity, raided the journalist’s house, in northern Baghdad, arresting him, taking him to an unknown place without explaining the reasons for his arrest.

He disappeared for four days, then he was released after being interrogated about the page he administrates and the content he publishes.

Activists and Human Rights Defenders

• On 3rd February 2018, security forces arrested human rights activist “Bassen Khazaal Khashan”, from al Mothana city, southern Iraq, on accusations in cases connected to uncovering corruption in the southern governorate.

Khashan’s arrest led to demonstrations demanding his release, therefore the court ruled to release him on 27th February. On 9th June, the court sentenced him to five years in prison, yet the case is before the appealing court now.

It is worth mention that Khashan filed around 360 corruption suits against al Mothana governor and other officials in the governorate accusing them of corruption and benefiting from their jobs, which led to his arrest.

• On 9th February, security forces arrested dozens of protesters before al Mothana directorate during their protest demanding the immediate release of Bassem Khashan.

NGOs and syndicates supported the detained, demanding their release and the guarantee of peaceful freedom of expression. The detained were released the next day.

• On 9th May 2018, Farag al Badry, a human rights activist, disappeared from Dhi Qar governorate, east southern Iraq. His destiny is vague until now.

On this day night, Badry’s car was found in a remote area in Dhi Qar, without any traces of theft or violence.

Violations against Collective Freedom of Expression (demonstrations)

• On 26th October 2018, a march started going to Office of Judiciary, in Dhi Qar, demanding the uncovering of Farag Al Badry’s destiny.

The march was led by a number of activists, politicians and human rights advocates. Badry called for boycotting the Iraqi elections and demonstrating against the Iraqi authorities and its decisions before he disappeared. He also wrote a post about administrative and financial corruption in the governorate.

• On 6th September 2018, demonstrations renewed in Busra, as it started in July, protesting deterioration of services and cutting the electricity for hours, moreover, they denounced unemployment in such a big governorate.

Security forces clashed with peaceful demonstrations in Busra and shot them with rubber bullets, killing 11 and injuring dozens.

The Iraqi authorities imposed a curfew following these protests, however, it did not implement it as a result of the public resentment, political and NGO’s demands to cancel such a decision.

Cutting Internet services and social media

• On 21st June 2018, the Iraqi Telecommunication Ministry announced its intention to cut the internet service concurrently with the preparatory exams.

The decision was justified by the notion of combating the use of social media, especially Facebook, in cheating.

• On 19th July, demonstrations broke out southern Iraq demanding economic reform and combating unemployment. Security forces used violence, fire bullets and rubber bullets facing these demonstrations.

Adding to this, the authorities suspended the internet services, in a trial to cover up for the police forces using violence, murder and violent disperse against peaceful demonstrations.

Dozens of casualties resulted from these demonstrations, nevertheless, Iraqi Prime Minister insisted not to dismiss officials whom the protesters demanded their expulsion from their jobs.

Fanaticism leading to Murder

• On 27th September 2018, Tara Fares, a model and a former miss Baghdad, was assassinated in her car after being shot. The Iraqi police are still investigating the crime.
• Three days later, on 30th September, Shaimaa Qassem, Miss Iraq in 2015, announced that she received murder threats.

On her Facebook account, Shaimaa Qassem aired a life, declaring that she received a murder threat stating: it is your turn.

Qassem expressed her fears from being killed, demanding security protection for her and for celebrities who may undergo such threats.

• On 13th October, Facebook users circulated a video showing the assassination of “Hamoudi al Moteiri” a boy who was calling for help with no response from the person who recorded the video.

The video shows cutting the boy’s stomach while crying: I want my mum, I want my mum, and a voice telling him: you know what is this? It is your intestine.

The boy, born in 2003, was accused of homosexuality, the rumor was circulated even further when he posted his photos on Instagram showing his sexual orientation.