The Rights Center for Freedom of Expression Support recorded the death of a novelist in addition to 37 violations against Iraqi journalists and demonstrators during the first quarter of this year, which is the highest in comparison to the violations suffered by journalists during the first three months of last year.
The most prominent of these violations, which occurred in early 2019, represented in the repeated arrests of journalists working in the Kurdish channel NRT in Kurdistan region, University students were dismissed because of leaflets on Facebook, harassment by security forces of government institutions, Intimidated threats against the background of the preparation of press reports or filming of visual materials, and the trial journalists and demonstrators, as the release of a number of them and others remained waiting for the dates of the trial.
The Rights Center has received several reports from bloggers who have been subjected to tribal harassment on the basis of their views on social networking sites, but the disclosure of their names puts their lives at risk.
At this time, Rights Center concern about the increase about the number of violations and calls upon the relevant authorities to direct staff and members of the security forces, especially the need to cooperate with journalists, bloggers and civil society activists and respect their work according to the Constitution and the law.
The Rights Center publishes the events it recorded during the first quarter of 2019, while reserving for other cases, which cannot be published on the basis of the wishes of the violators as described below:
4th January
Samer Ali, cameraman in Al-Hurra Iraq satellite channel was killed in Baghdad.
15th January
Four university students were dismissed from Belad Al- Rafedain because of their views on social networking sites.
16th January
The director of the office of NRT satellite channel, in Erbil Ribwar Kaki "was arrested by the provincial police on the basis of a complaint from the Political Bureau of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
22 January
Six demonstrators were arrested in Basra by an oil police detachment because they asked for permission to hold a demonstration.
27 January
Al-Ahed channel and Al-Furat satellite channel were prevented from covering the activities of the Iraqi Football Federation on the background of revealing files that caused the exit of the national team from the Asian Nations Cup.
31 January
An attack on the live broadcast team of a program Bain Al- Nass, broadcast by the satellite channel "Beladi" by security forces belonging to the Baghdad Operations Command.
2 February
The killing of novelist and academic Alaa Mashzoub in Karbala by unknown criminals.
5th February
The arrest of the Dejla satellite channel’s crew, composed of reporter Anas Yousef and the photographer Ahmed Mohamed, under the order of the director general of medical city in Baghdad, after being prevented from filming near the city.
6th February
Belady satellite channel correspondent Mahmoud al-Jammas was injured when he was accompanying Iraqi forces in a military operation against ISIS in Hawija Knaos area south of Mosul.
19th February
Postponement of the trial of the correspondent of INEWS in Karbala Haider Hadi due to a complaint recorded by former MP Habib Al- Tarfy.
19th February
The termination of the services of Orr satellite channel’s team, consisting of reporter Laith Guamir and photographer Omar Dawood arbitrarily and without warning.
21 February
Health Minister Alaa Alwan is issuing sanctions against health professionals who protested to claim their rights under the pretext that their strike affects the performance of health institutions.
23 February
The prevent of Belady satellite channel’s crew that consisting of Ali Nassef and broadcast engineer Haidar Nidal, as well as photographer Uday Hamed, from covering the demonstration of the Syndicate of Agricultural Engineers in Tahrir Square in central Baghdad despite obtaining official approvals after the assistant of the Baghdad operations commander threatened to detain the channel team.
25 February
The attake Al-Najah TV crew in Najaf, composed of Ahmed Al-Ghazali and the photographer accompanied by Waleed Mirza, were severely beaten by Al-Wasat sports team, which caused the destroyed the journalist's equipment and he was taken to the hospital.
28 February
The lawsuit against the editor of Warka News was closed after the complainant, who works as an officer in the Muthanna Traffic Police, relinquished the statement issued by the Rights Center for Freedom of Expression Support.
5th March
The Samarra TV crew was attacked in Babel and their press equipment was destroyed by the provincial police.
10th March
The detention of Al-Najba satellite channel’s correspondent Muhammad al-Obeidi in Salah al-Din province, after being severely beaten by the security forces of Imam Al- askary in Samarra.
12th March
The judiciary acquits correspondent NRT Arabic channel in Karbala Haider Hadi of the charge addressed to him by former MP Habib Al- Tarfy.
15 March
The attack on a number of satellite channel correspondents in Nainwa province by the security of the Minister of Oil’s agent.
19 March
The attack on Al- Al- E’tejah satellite channel’s crew by dormitories employees in Al- Waziriya district in Baghdad and destroed their equipment.
20 March
Demonstrators released in Maysan after the Magistrate's Court withdrew his lawsuit against them.
22 March
Laith al-Rashedi Nainwa journalists was ran over and Al- Mosuliya satellite channel team, consisting of Karam al-Taei and Ali al-Naimi, as well as Mohammed Namik, by the wheels of Nainwa governor Nawfal al-Aakoub during their coverage of the demonstrations, which launched in front of the island of Umm al-Rubein tourist on the back of the ferry incident.
28March
The judiciary acquits correspondent NRT Arabiya in Karbala Haider Hadi of the charge addressed to him by the head of the provincial council Nassif al-Khattabi.