جمعية الدفاع عن حرية الصحافة في العراق Press freedom advocacy association in Iraq
20/11/2022
Elements of Maysan police smashed the equipment of the cameraman of Al-Mirbad channel, while he was covering a demonstration of Education graduates in front of the governorate education building, on Sunday morning.
The Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraqlearned from its coordinator in Maysan, that the security elements that surrounded the site of the demonstration, and tried to disperse the protesters, smashed the camera of the cameraman of Al-Mirbadchannel, “Aws Al-Anzi” when accompanied by the reporter, “Jassim Al-Ansari”, to cover the demonstration. He added that other security elements of the police verbally assaulted the cameraman as he was documenting the gathering of educational graduates demanding job opportunities, adding that the security tried to arrest the cameraman, but the demonstrators prevented that.
The Association condemns what happened to the fellow photographer, and considers it an oppressive way adopted by the security forces to prevent journalists from reporting events throughout Iraq. The act is considered a flagrant violation of the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of press and media work.
The Association calls on the security services in Maysan to stop preventing journalists from performing their duties, to provide them with the necessary protection instead of attacking them, and to respect the principles of the law, which are stipulated in the constitution that guarantees freedom of journalistic work in all its forms.
It is noteworthy that Maysan province was emptied of journalists and activists after a series of assassinations carried out by gunmen that prompted journalists in Maysan to leave their hometown .
