Latest in a series of influencer arrests
Iraqi TikTok influencer arrested for ‘indecent content’
BAGHDAD – Iraqi TikTok influencer Aya Al-Shammari was arrested by Iraqi security forces on Thursday on accusations of “indecent content,” following a warrant issued by Baghdad’s Karkh Misdemeanor Court. The arrest is part of a broader government campaign to enforce what it calls Iraqi “morals and traditions” on social media.
Al-Shammari’s arrest was carried out by the Ministry of Interior’s committee on indecent content, established last year. In January, the Ministry launched a digital platform called ‘Ballegh’, meaning “report” in Arabic, which allows citizens to anonymously report social media content they believe “offends public decency and carries negative messages.” This platform has led to several arrests and prosecutions of influencers.
Al-Shammari, who has over two million followers on TikTok, is known for advertising videos for restaurants and various entertaining content. According to Baghdad’s Today website, some social media users urged the committee on indecent content to take legal action against Al-Shammari for a video she shared last January, which allegedly had “sexual implications.”
Her arrest is the latest in a series of actions against female social media influencers in Iraq, raising concerns about freedom of speech.
In April, TikTok influencer Umm Al-Lool was sentenced to four months in prison for “indecent content” and later received a life sentence for drug trafficking. However, her case is being retried following a Baghdad appellate court order in early July.
Other incidents include the shooting of influencer Ghufran Sawadi, known as Om Fahad, in her car in the Zayouna district. She was previously sentenced to six months in jail for “videos containing indecent speech.” Additionally, a transgender social media personality died under suspicious circumstances in prison in mid-May, where she was held on prostitution charges.
The recent arrests and assassinations highlight ongoing tensions in Iraq over social media content and freedom of expression.
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