Federal court hears cases against officials over adult websites

BAGHDAD, January 28 — The Iraqi Federal Court is set to deliberate today on two separate complaints regarding the closure of adult websites across the country.

The complaints, initiated by parliamentarians Saud Saadi of the Al-Huquq Movement, which has ties to the Hezbollah Brigades of Iraq, and Basim Khashan, advocate for robust measures against those responsible for promoting and facilitating access to such websites.

Central to the court’s agenda is a case implicating four high-ranking Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Mohammad Shiaa Al-Sudani. The plaintiffs are calling for the Iraqi Parliament to introduce legislation imposing harsh physical and financial penalties on individuals involved in distributing or enabling access to adult content on the internet.

Saadi’s complaint accuses the prime minister, the speaker of parliament, and the minister of communications of neglecting necessary steps to block these websites.

The second plaintiff, Khashan, focuses his grievance on the minister of communications and the chief of the Iraqi Media and Communications Commission. He urges for a crackdown on content deemed ‘contrary to the values and norms’ of Iraqi society.