Iraq: Arrest warrant issued for journalist Suadad Al-Salhy over a libel lawsuit.
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Iraq: Arrest warrant issued for journalist Suadad Al-Salhy over a libel lawsuit.
October 23, 2020, Nasiriyah, Iraq — An arrest warrant for Middle East Eye reporter Suadad Al-Salhy was issued concerning a libel lawsuit. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is concerned about this development and calls for immediate retraction of this warrant.
On October 22, an Iraqi court issued a warrant to arrest journalist Suadad over a libel lawsuit according to article 433 of the Iraqi penal code. The warrant didn’t include information about the claimant. Libel suits in Iraq are penalized by imprisonment or a financial remedy or both according to the law.
Social media posts claim that the libel suit is over a video attacking the government in Iraq and their practices towards the pressing issues that the public is suffering from but so far lawyers of journalist Suadad couldn’t get further information about the lawsuit against her.
Defending Press Freedom Association expressed its concern over the vagueness of the warrant memo and unclarity of the claimant. The association considered this act a breach of press freedom and limitation on journalism and called upon the Prime Minister to fulfill his promises and intervene to stop targeting and imprisoning journalists over vague complaints.
The law that Suadad is targeted by is inherited from the Saddam regime who was known for his oppression and intimidation of journalists. Imprisonment in libel suits is a practice that most countries refrain from doing and reviewing its legislation to revoke it because it’s proven to be a tool to target journalists and threaten press freedom. The current penal code in Iraq still allows the imprisonment of journalists over libel claims. Suadad works as a reporter for the Middle East Eye and covers political aspects of the Iraqi conflict. She used to work for Al-Hayat newspaper and is known for her balanced and professional journalistic work.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the arrest warrant against Suadad and expresses its solidarity with the journalist. CFWIJ calls upon the Iraqi authorities to amend the penal code to remove imprisonment of journalists for publishing and libel and to ensure a safe and free environment for women journalists in Iraq.
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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org
