Journalists and lawyers warn of escalating crackdown on free expression

BAGHDAD — Journalists, lawyers, and activists gathered at a workshop in the capital this week to sound the alarm over what they described as an intensifying crackdown on press freedom and free expression in Iraq.

The warning comes amid a documented rise in threats, arrests, and legal harassment of reporters across the country. According to the Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq, at least 457 violations were recorded against journalists and media outlets between Jan. 1 and Oct. 2, 2024. These included murders, arbitrary detentions, physical assaults, armed attacks, lawsuits, and restrictions on reporting.

“Freedom of expression in Iraq is in danger. Many activists are being threatened with death, elimination, or displacement,” said lawyer and activist Zainab Jawad. “The few journalists who remain are facing fabricated charges, just like our fellow activists in Dhi Qar.”

“Today, there are systematic arrest campaigns against every activist and anyone who expresses an opinion, as if freedom of speech has become a crime,” she added. “Freedom of expression has been reduced to Article 38 of the constitution, which guarantees this right.”

Article 38 of the Iraqi Constitution protects freedom of expression, the press, and peaceful assembly, provided these do not violate public order or morality. But Jawad said the government has sidelined those protections.

“The state replaced laws with legislation shaped by partisan and sectarian interests. Article 38 is nearly paralyzed — if not dying. We need laws that protect journalists’ rights and their lives, especially those who speak out,” she said.

Participants at the event, held at Baghdad Hotel, cited a pattern of arrests and increasing pressure on dissenting voices, driven in part by political interference in legal frameworks.

“The political dominance of a single color in Parliament has had a negative effect on freedom of expression and the press,” said Sajjad Salem, a member of Iraq’s parliamentary legal committee. “The legislation presented to Iraq’s Council of Representatives reflects this trend.”

“We believe the other reason is the absence of the state in Iraq, which allowed non-state actors — those who possess money and weapons — to step in and influence, pressure, and silence opposing views,” he continued. “I believe political will is missing when it comes to reform, protecting rights and freedoms, and reinforcing civil values. This is very clear.”

Salem added that hostility toward media is often institutional.

“Some elements of authority negatively affect media freedoms. We’ve seen that clearly before,” he said. “I think the culture within some branches of power is limited in its approach. They view freedoms with suspicion and carry a legacy mindset that treats the press as a threat.”

Amal Saqr, head of the Namaa Foundation for Media Training and a former BBC journalist, shared a personal account of how threats against reporters have evolved.

“We were targeted for assassination while covering a story during my time with the BBC,” she said. “One citizen warned us, saying ‘the duck is ready to snatch you off the street, be careful.’ So we took immediate security precautions and ended our mission to return to the office.”

“We did our best to protect ourselves, even if it came at the expense of field coverage,” she added. “Now in 2025, the threat has moved from the streets to the courtroom. Any journalist can be taken to court over allegations that may be fabricated or untrue.”

Journalist Omar al-Hilali said reporters working in Iraq’s remote and conflict-prone areas are especially vulnerable, often without access to legal or organizational support.

“From the far east of Iraq to its west, journalistic work is far from the support of organizations defending press freedom,” he said. “There are red lines, especially in conflict zones and areas of religious, sectarian, and ethnic diversity — places like Mandali [in Diyala], Tuz Khurmatu [in Salah Al-Din], Kirkuk, and all the way to Rabia [in Nineveh].”

“Many of these lines are drawn by political parties, sometimes by religious figures, and even by some media institutions themselves,” al-Hilali added.