14/10/2020
A video taken by a citizen showed members of the Basra governor’s office, Asaad al-Aidani, dictating the crew of al-Iraqiya TV, and preventing them from meeting with citizens and clients of the provincial building.
Press Freedom Advocacy Association received a copy of a video posted on social media sites, showing al-Iraqiya TV reporter in Basra Mohammed Nasser inside the provincial office talking to a citizen about the Diwan Employees’ attitude with customers, whileduring the meeting, members of the Security of the governor’s office stormed the camera site, cut off the citizen’s conversation with the reporter, and asked the citizen to delete the meeting from his mobile phone.
At the same time, the channel’s correspondent Mohamed Nasser denied in a telephone call to the association that members of the Security prevented them from covering, contrary to what appears on video, and that the security personnel only asked the staff f to allow or a permit to authorize their work.
Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq condemns this unjustified interference by security associates and their violation of freedom of information, the press function and freedom of expression that is guaranteed by the constitution.
The association calls on all members of the security forces to abide to their duties; to protect the citizen and preserve the constitution, instead of violating it by depriving the citizen the freedom to express an opinion and convey ongoing events to the media.
