2019/8/1
The director of Al-Wafaa radio and television, Mazen al-Zarfi, is facing two separate lawsuits filed against him by the Shiite Waqf and another by a member of the provincial council on the background of posting on Facebook.
Al-Zarfi told Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq that while covering the demonstrations that took place in Najaf on June 30th 2017, he posted on a social media platform a leaflet, which read, “Demonstrators are burning part of the Dar al-Ilm complex of the Scientific Estate in Najaf and the headquarters of the security services because “the national governmental electrical feed continues to provide both complexes at the time that residents are deprived of this service”.
Al-Zarfi was surprised that a lawsuit was filed against the channel by the Shiite Waqf, considering the post as agitating.Al-zarfi added that his statements were written down in front of the national security at the time that he was led to the judge for dealing with another lawsuit filed against him by a member of the provincial council, Ali Al-shimmary on the background of publishing material relevant to two death incidents while the latter was practicing medicine.
The Association calls on the judiciary to carefully consider the Iraqi constitution, which guarantees the freedom of journalism in all its forms, and states that influential people exploit their power to abuse journalism and prevent them from exposing corruption files, which is a direviolation of freedom of expression in the country.
The judicial authorities in Najaf province and the provincial council are demanded to follow on the cases of Mazen al-Zarfi from an objective viewpoint and that all judiciary procedures remote themselves from the mouth muzzling manipulation of power.
