At least 6 Iraq-based journalists with Dijlah TV resign, go into hiding following threats – CPJ Press Freedom Online
New York, September 10, 2020 Iraqi authorities must investigate the threats against employees of Dijlah TV and do their utmost to ensure they can work freely and without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Since August 28, at least six reporters and camera operators working in Iraq for the Jordan-based broadcaster have quit their jobs and gone into hiding amid a campaign of threats for allegedly offending Iraqi Shias, according to a statement issued by the journalists, copies and screenshots of the threats, which CPJ reviewed, and several of the journalists, who communicated with CPJ via messaging app and email.
The threats against the journalists began after Dijlah Tarab, a music broadcaster and an affiliate of Dijlah TV, broadcast a concert during Ashura, a day of mourning for Shia Muslims. In a statement issued on August 30, Dijlah TV blamed the affiliate for broadcasting the concert at an inappropriate time and apologized to those offended.
Iraqi authorities are utterly failing to protect journalists who are in danger and leaving them to fend for themselves against militias, said CPJs Middle East and North Africa representative Ignacio Miguel Delgado. Iraqi authorities must launch an investigation into the threats and incitement against the Dijlah TV staff and do their utmost to protect them and ensure that they do not have to live in fear.
On August 31, Baghdads Rusafa Investigative Court issued an arrest warrant for Dijlah TV owner Jamal Karbouli for allegedly insulting Shia Muslims in Iraq by broadcasting the concert, and protesters ransacked the broadcasters Baghdad office, as CPJ documented at the time. Karbouli has not been arrested and was posting freely on social media as of today, as seen on his social media accounts.
Several journalists who quit and went into hiding after they received threats asked CPJ not to publish their names, citing fear of reprisal. Those who agreed to share threats they received with CPJ and be identified by name include Al-Diwaniyah-based reporter Ziad al-Fatlawi and camera operator Mohammad al-Bolani, Al-Kut based reporter Ali Mohammad, Najaf-based reporter Karar al-Asaf, Dhi Qar-based reporter Rasem Kareem, and Baghdad reporter Saif Ali.
In their statement, the journalists said they had no connection to Dijlah Tarab or any influence over the broadcaster, and that their resignations have not stopped the threats.
In text messages, social media posts, and threatening photos and videos shared with CPJ, internet users and Facebook groups have disclosed the names of Dijlah TV employees, called for the journalists to be expelled from the governorates where they work, for the broadcasters offices in Iraq to be torched and closed, and called on Shia Muslims in Iraq to make an example of every Dijlah TV employee they find.
Al-Fatlawi showed CPJ a message he received from an unidentified person that included a photo of his car with the message, we will get you if youre in your room and an emoji depicting a stick of dynamite.
Al-Fatlawi told CPJ that three militiamen tried to attack him on August 31, and he shared CCTV footage with CPJ that depicted three men standing outside Dijlah TVs office in Al-Diwaniyah.
A Dijlah TV reporter who preferred to remain anonymous, citing fear of reprisal, said that the leader of an Iraqi militia, whose name he declined to disclose for fear of retaliation, told him that he and his colleagues could return from hiding if they apologized to religious authorities and publicly thanked the Popular Mobilization Forces, an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella group consisting of mainly Shia militias, for their protection.
Al-Asaf told CPJ that he has been receiving death threats on social media and messaging apps from alleged members of militias and the Popular Mobilization Forces.
I have been forced underground because of the incitement to kill me and because there are people in Najaf who are searching for me in order to kill me, he said.
CPJ emailed the Iraqi Interior Ministry for comment, but did not receive a response.
Read the original:
At least 6 Iraq-based journalists with Dijlah TV resign, go into hiding following threats - CPJ Press Freedom Online
- Sheffield father of Iraq soldier calls on Vance to resign - BBC.com - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Iraq veteran MP condemns JD Vance over claim Britain hasnt fought a war in 40 years - The Independent - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Iran spooked by Turkeys overtures to Kurds, rising role in Syria, Iraq - Al-Monitor - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- After 2 years, Iraq claims to be searching for kidnapped researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov - Long War Journal - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- New Warfare trailer reveals the true story behind the upcoming Iraq War drama - Task & Purpose - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Preserving Assyria explores the preservation of cultural heritage in post-conflict Iraq - ABC7 Los Angeles - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Iraq and the new Syria: Navigating ties in the post-Assad era - The New Arab - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Turkey Wants the PKK to DisarmBut Will It Actually Leave Iraq? - Foreign Policy In Focus - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- RAF offensive operations against Daesh in Iraq and Syria continue - European Security & Defence - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Iraq in negotiations with Halliburton to develop Nahr Bin Umar oilfield - Iraqi News - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Stepped-up repatriation of IS families presents opportunities, risks for Iraq - Amwaj.media - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Iraq, foreign oil firms make conflicting statements on Kurdish exports resumption - Reuters.com - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Turkey seeks dissolution of PKK-linked groups in Syria and Iraq, following leader's peace plea - The Associated Press - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Hometown Heroes: Andy Weyker survived biggest tank battle in Iraq, succumbed to ALS - WeAreGreenBay.com - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Iraq Calls for Meeting with IOCs, KRG Ministry to Discuss Oil Contracts - Kurdistan24 - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Iraq to Announce Resumption of Kurdistan Oil Exports in the Coming Hours, Confirms Oil Minister - Kurdistan24 - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Ramadan 2025: Fasting to Begin in Iraq on March 1 - Morocco World News - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Tehran: Iraq expected to obtain temporary permits for Iranian gas - Shafaq News - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Al-Alaq: Iraq has become one of the best countries in the world in controlling the sale of the dollar - ina.iq - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Trump's E.O. On Anti-Christian Bias Should Extend to Iraq's Assyrians - Newsweek - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Veterans feel left behind and disparaged after Trumps government cuts: Iraq Veteran - MSNBC - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Is Iraq Now Looking To Russia To Further Develop Its Huge Gas Potential - OilPrice.com - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Yemen Joins Russia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Myanmar, Syria, and Mali on US Do Not Travel List What the New Advisory Means for The Tourism Sector -... - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Iraq says oil exports from Kurdish region by way of Turkey set to resume - ABC News - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Iraq: Introduction of Health Insurance; New Visa Payment Method in Effect - Fragomen - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Iraq says it will submit updated plan to compensate for oil overproduction - Reuters - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Receives Special Representative of United Nations Secretary General for Iraq Ministry of Foreign Affairs... - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Trkiye 'neutralized' 44 terrorists in northern Iraq, Syria over past week - Anadolu Agency | English - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Explainer: Why oil flows through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been halted - Reuters - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Senate confirms Driscoll as Army secretary, putting an Iraq War vet at the helm - The Associated Press - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- VOA Kurdish: Kurdish budget share expected to increase after Iraq census results - Voice of America - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Iraq and Switzerland sign tax treaty to boost economic cooperation - bne IntelliNews - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Will Iraq-Trkiye Pipeline be reopened next week? - CEENERGYNEWS - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Meets Iraqi Community in Finland to Discuss their Conditions and Ways to Support them Ministry of Foreign Affairs of... - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- WHO contribution in Iraq: Evaluation report - World Health Organization - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- At least 70 dead, including 12 children, in Iraq river ferry disaster - Grand Island Independent - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Iraq's population exceeds 46M, with education ratio of less than 16% - Anadolu Agency - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Ahmed Albasheer to interview US Congressman on Irans influence in Iraq - Iraqi News - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Iraq to Receive 185,000 Barrels of Oil From Kurdistan as Exports Set to Restart - Bloomberg - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- US and Iraq Agree to Work Quickly on Reopening Iraq-Turkey Pipeline - AL24 News - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Iraq to Receive 185,000 Bpd of Oil from Kurdistan - Rigzone News - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- BP Finalizes Agreement With Iraq to Revive Kirkuk Oil Fields - Bloomberg - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Iraq and Switzerland sign tax treaty to boost economic cooperation - MSN - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- An Iraq War vet is facing deportation. This veterans' group is demanding his release. - USA TODAY - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Iraq's top court throws out challenge to new laws, including one increasing Islamic courts authority - The Associated Press - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- 'Don't be afraid to try': Chardon woman injured while serving in Iraq channels pain into writing career - WKYC.com - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Former Fort Carson Iraq war veteran gives up the fight to stay in the U.S. - The Denver Gazette - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- US breach of promises to Iraq after the 2003 invasion - Mehr News Agency - English Version - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Turkey, Jordan, Iraq to hold first anti-ISIS summit this month: Turkish official - Al-Monitor - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Iraq reviews cooperation with Czech-based Aero Vodochody, UNIS - Iraqi News - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- USAID shutdown by Trump-backed DOGE puts Iraq in peril, hundreds of development projects under threat - The Economic Times - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Invisible Force Dragging Iraq Down: Scientists Warn of Unseen Threat Beneath the Middle East That's Reshaping the Land - The Daily Galaxy --Great... - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- IRAQ RECAP: Securities Commission signs five-year MoU with Egyptian counterpart - MSN - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- US warns Iraq's PM over captivity of researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov - The New Arab - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Historic landmarks in Iraq's Mosul are reopening as the city heals from Islamic State devastation - The Associated Press - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Iraq: How the world helped Mosul rise from the rubble of war - UN News - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Bill would rename Sakonnet River Bridge in honor of Tiverton soldier killed in Iraq War - Rhode Island Current - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Iraq to stop taking Iranian gas by 2028 - Arabian Gulf Business Insight - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Former Iraq PM urges action to stop massacres against Syrian Shias under HTS rule - Press TV - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Former Iraq PM calls for Shia intervention into Syria to oppose the great sedition - Middle East Monitor - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Historic landmarks in Iraq's Mosul are reopening as the city heals from Islamic State devastation - News-Press Now - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Navigating the Challenges of Environmentalism in an Increasingly Authoritarian Iraq - - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Iraq, US review strategies to enhance financial cooperation - Iraqi News - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Historic landmarks in Iraq's Mosul are reopening as the city heals from Islamic State devastation - The Independent - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Drone attack targets gas field in northern Iraq - Long War Journal - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- 'The Worst Idea Since Iraq'Experts on Trump's Gaza Plan - Newsweek - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- "Environmental Pollution and Global Warming" exhibition held in Iraq - Xinhua - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- US, Allies Conduct Airstrikes on Terrorists in Somalia, Iraq, and Syria - Air & Space Forces Magazine - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Ancient Oceanic Plate Rips Apart Beneath Iraq and Iran - SciTechDaily - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- The Government of Italy Provides Additional Contribution to UNMAS in Support of Mine Action in Iraq [EN/AR] - ReliefWeb - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- US-backed forces kill five ISIS operatives in Iraq, capture leaders in Syria - The Jerusalem Post - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Back in Iraq BP Puts $25B On the Table - OilPrice.com - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Ocean plate from time of Pangaea is now being torn apart under Iraq and Iran - Livescience.com - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Iraq denies allegations of purchasing or re-exporting Iranian crude oil - - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Major tectonic tear found beneath Iraq, Turkey, and Iran - The Watchers - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Iraq denies claims of buying Iranian oil, citing strict controls - Shafaq News - Shafaq News - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Iraq to stop 78% of flared gas by the end of 2025 - Iraqi News - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Iraq's ancient lake bed reveals hand axes dating back 1.5 million years - The Jerusalem Post - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Long Island soldier killed in action in Iraq 20 years ago honored in Wantagh - News 12 Long Island - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Telegram Outlet Linked To Iran-Backed Militias In Iraq: Tehran Is Preparing Nuclear Bases To Set The Region On Fire - Middle East Media Research... - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]