13/12/2020
Diyala Provincial Council Chairman Muthanna Al-Tamimi issued an order banning Al-Change TV reporter Hassan al-Shammari from entering the provincial headquarters and performing his work.
Al-Shammari, in a telephone conversation with Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq, said he was on a press mission inside Diyala provincial council, and was surprised to be prevented by an intelligence officer, who asked him to leave the place immediately.
Al-Shammari said that the security informed him of the issuance of instructions by the chairman of the provincial council, stating that he was prevented from entering the building and performing his work, because of the reports on the poor living and services conditions in Diyala.
The Association condemns preventing the correspondent of Al-Taghyir TV from doing his work and considers this a dire violation of the freedom of press in the country.
The association reminds Diyala officials of the need to act in accordance with the principles of the Constitution and abide by the law, which guarantees journalists the freedom of journalistic work without any condition or restriction.
The association calls on the federal government to intervene and hold accountable those behind preventing the journalist from entering the building.
