Iraq arrests social media activist over viral post
Al-Ardawi, a commentator with over 90,000 followers on X and known for backing pro-Tehran factions, claimed in a now-deleted post that radar at the Taji base had assisted Israeli operations.
The Defense Ministry, responsible for his arrest, characterized al-Ardawi's statement as incitement, accusing him of defaming the security establishment and spreading unsupported allegations.
It stated that while freedom of expression is legally protected, it does not cover content that incites unrest or circulates baseless claims—particularly during periods of heightened regional tension, and urged media professionals and online users to act responsibly in their public messaging.
The arrest is one of many cases in Iraq's crackdown targeting dissent. Since the October 2019 Tishreen protest movement, at least 34 activists have been killed and 81 assassination attempts documented, according to a European Union rights assessment.
During the same period, Iraqi authorities have carried out an estimated 4,600 arrests linked to protest activity.
Rights groups report that many slain activists were targeted by unidentified gunmen, often suspected of ties to armed factions, while prosecutions remain rare, and accountability elusive.
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