Latest news with #IraqiPenalCode
Shafaq News
13-05-2025
- Shafaq News
Child kills playmate with father's gun in Kurdistan
Shafaq News/ A six-year-old boy was fatally shot by another child in Kalar district in the Garmian Administration of the Kurdistan Region, police said on Tuesday. According to Ali Jamal Qadouri, spokesperson for the Garmian Police Directorate, the shooting occurred in the Bardasuri neighborhood when a 10-year-old boy took his father's handgun into the street and accidentally shot the victim, Lano Sarud Saadoun, while they were playing. The child died instantly and was transported to Shahid Hajar Hospital. The police immediately arrested both the alleged shooter and his father under Article 405 of the Iraqi Penal Code.
Rudaw Net
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Former Kirkuk governor released on bail amid corruption charges
Also in Iraq Families of victims revisit Anfal atrocities at notorious desert prison in southern Iraq More than 90 Yazidi families return to Shingal Former Kirkuk governor arrested on corruption charges Remains of 1,700 Kurds recovered over the past 17 years in Iraq: Official A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Rakan al-Jabouri, the former acting governor of Kirkuk, was released on bail Tuesday, a day after his arrest on suspicion of corruption. A source from Kirkuk's provincial administration told Rudaw that Jabouri was detained under 'Article 340 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which allows for bail.' The source added, however, that the court 'will continue investigating the charges against Jabouri, summoning his legal representative, and closely examining documents' relating to his case. Article 340 pertains to government employees accused of causing damage to public property, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to seven years. An informed source from the al-Rusafa Criminal Court in Baghdad told Rudaw on Monday, that 'Jabouri currently has five [active] cases against him in Baghdad courts.' Speaking to Rudaw on condition of anonymity, the same source stated that the investigating judge handling Jabouri's case on Saturday reviewed two corruption cases against the ex-Kirkuk governor and subsequently 'issued an arrest warrant for Rakan al-Jabouri.' Rudaw also learned that Jabouri has three additional cases against him in Kirkuk, bringing the total number of lawsuits against him to eight. The five cases in Baghdad were transferred at the plaintiffs' request, due to a lack of progress in the Kirkuk courts. The same well-placed source on Monday informed Rudaw that two of the ongoing corruption investigations relate to construction projects, with each involving the disappearance of 500 million dinars (around $380,000). Another case concerns 21 properties registered under the names of Jabouri's kin in a single Kirkuk neighborhood, which 'raises suspicion of corruption,' the source added. Jabouri was appointed acting governor of Kirkuk in 2017, after Iraqi federal forces took control of the city from Kurdish authorities. His tenure ended in August. Around the same time, Dler Zidan, head of the Kirkuk Investment Authority told Rudaw that Jabouri had requested that a 235-Dunam housing project be granted to his brother, prompting a formal complaint. Similarly, Kirkuk MP Dilan Ghafoor in June accused the former governor of gifting vehicles to the FIC's office in Kirkuk. Jabouri's tenure as governor was marked by controversy. While some accused him of trying to revive Ba'ath-era Arabization policies to alter Kirkuk's demographic makeup, others praised him for revitalizing neglected Arab neighborhoods.
Shafaq News
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraqi activist released after backlash over protest-related sentencing
Shafaq News/ An appeals court in Iraq's Babil province on Sunday ordered the release of activist Durgham Majid and several other protesters, hours after a lower court sentenced them to four months in prison over their role in anti-government demonstrations. The reversal followed the withdrawal of a legal complaint by Iraqi lawmaker Dunia al-Shammari, whose case had led to the convictions. A judicial source told Shafaq News the release order was issued by the Babil Appeals Court and applies to all 11 defendants. The initial sentencing sparked public outcry and fresh protests. Dozens of demonstrators blocked the entrance to the al-Hamza al-Gharbi courthouse earlier in the day, denouncing the ruling as a blow to civil liberties and calling for the immediate release of those detained. The case comes amid a broader crackdown on dissent in Iraq, where rights groups say authorities are increasingly turning to the judiciary to silence activism. In a separate ruling on Sunday, a court in the southern province of Dhi Qar sentenced prominent protest figure Ihsan Abu Kawthar to 15 years in prison for the killing of a fellow demonstrator. The Dhi Qar Criminal Court found him guilty under Article 406 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which covers premeditated murder, a security source said. Abu Kawthar, a leading voice in the 2019 'Tishreen' protest movement in Nasiriyah, was arrested on March 8 following a raid on his home by local police. He was later transferred to the General Intelligence Directorate for further interrogation. Human rights monitors warn that the sentencing of both Majid and Abu Kawthar reflects a deepening judicial clampdown on Iraq's civil society, particularly in 2024 and early 2025. Amnesty International, in a recent submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review, flagged Iraq's failure to implement prior human rights commitments and cited widespread arbitrary arrests, excessive use of force, and lack of accountability in detention centers. Freedom House rated Iraq as 'Not Free' in its Freedom in the World 2025 report, giving the country a score of 31 out of 100 and pointing to severe restrictions on free speech, assembly, and civil society operations. In January, the UN Human Rights Council's review of Iraq's record acknowledged limited progress but underscored ongoing threats to freedom of expression and the safety of civil society actors. Rights advocates say the recent legal measures targeting protesters reflect a coordinated effort by Iraqi authorities to suppress dissent ahead of upcoming provincial elections and amid ongoing political turbulence.
Iraqi News
06-04-2025
- Iraqi News
Wasit Court Sentences Drug Trafficker to Life in Prison
Baghdad – INA Wasit Criminal Court announced on Sunday that it has sentenced a convicted drug trafficker to life in prison for his involvement in the trade of narcotic substances. In a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the Supreme Judicial Council said, 'The convict was apprehended in possession of 1 kilogram and 10 grams of methamphetamine, in addition to 210 narcotic pills.' The court issued the sentence under Article 28 (First) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 47, 48, and 49 of the Iraqi Penal Code.
Arab News
27-03-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Iraq imposes new fees on social media influencers in latest crackdown on digital content
LONDON: The Communications and Media Commission in Iraq has introduced new rules requiring digital content creators, including social media influencers, to register annually and pay fees based on their follower counts. 'The regulation aims to establish a framework that sets clear standards and procedures for digital content and advertising on social media platforms,' Haider Najm Al-Alaq, a spokesperson for the commission, told the Iraqi News Agency. The primary goal is to 'ensure transparency, credibility and public protection from unprofessional promotional content,' he added. The new rules apply to bloggers, influencers and public figures with significant online followings. The aim is to align digital content with Iraqi laws, curb 'misleading or unethical advertisements,' and offer legal protections for registered influencers, the commission said. They will also help to safeguard vulnerable groups, it added, including women, children and people with special needs. The annual registration fees range from 250,000 to 1 million Iraqi dinars ($190 to $760), with influencers who have more than 5 million followers paying the highest amount. The commission said the regulations will be enforced through a monitoring system. Al-Alaq said influencers will be required to adhere to specific standards for content, including 'respect for national sovereignty,' avoidance of material that 'damages Iraq's position or foreign relations,' and support for security institutions in their counterterrorism efforts. They must also refrain from posting material that could incite violence or sectarianism, and provide a right of response for individuals affected by their content. However, Iraqi journalism rights groups, content creators and media experts criticized the new regulations. They described the framework as vague, and raised concerns about its legal basis and potential for misuse. They also warned that the law will do little to regulate content quality and instead serve simply as a tool for generating revenue. 'This decision is sudden, illogical and baffling,' Iraqi journalist and blogger Omar Al-Janabi wrote in a message posted on social media platform X. 'It does not distinguish between commercial advertising and political commentary, nor between platforms. A journalist posting news on X is treated the same as a YouTube influencer selling skin cream.' The new regulations follow a broader crackdown on what Iraqi authorities describe as 'indecent content,' an effort that has intensified in the past year. On Aug. 22, authorities arrested Raghad Mohammed Ghali Jabr Al-Janabi, a 22-year-old TikToker known online as 'Natalie,' in Baghdad for allegedly promoting indecent material. Several other influencers, including Aned Khaled (nickname 'Hassahs'), Ruqayya Rahim and Aya Al-Shammari were detained the same month under Article 403 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which criminalizes the production or distribution of content deemed to violate public decency. Those convicted under the law face fines and up to two years in prison. The crackdown comes amid growing concern about the safety of social media personalities in Iraq. In April 2024, popular influencer Om Fahad was shot dead outside her home in Baghdad. The killing, the third in a string of violent attacks targeting online celebrities, sparked a nationwide debate about content regulation and online safety.
