Baghdadiya Stormed by Sadrists After Protest

4/10/2023

A number of supporters of the Sadrist movement on Tuesday evening, stormed the office of the “Baghdadia” channel in Baghdad. the presenter of the program “Studio Nine” Ali al-Dhubhawi was seized and led to an unknown destination, according to workers in the channel.

The director of the channel, Ali AlKhayal informed the Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq that a number of supporters of the Sadrist movement organized a protest yesterday in front of the channel building in Abu Nawas then stormed inside  and damaged its assets, indicating that the protesters demanded the staff working in the office to leave the place immediately, as they arrested the presenter “Ali Al-Dhubhawi” and took him to an unknown destination, in protest against what was reported in a conversation with Al-Dhubhawi, that was considered abusive to the leader of the movement, “Muqtada al-Sadr, “ according to his supporters.

Al-Khayal added that the protesters closed the office, and surrounded it with concrete walls, in front of the security forces who made no gesture, pointing out that colleague Al-Dhubawi is still facing an unknown fate until the moment of writing this statement.

The relevant security authorities have not yet confirmed or denied the news of al-Dhubawi’s abduction.

The Association condemns the storming of the building, in sight of the security forces, without holding their duty to protect media institutions and their workers. The association considers the act as a flagrant violation of the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of journalistic and media work in the country.

The association reminds the Prime Minister again of fulfilling the promises he made immediately after taking office, and his promise to protect the media and its institutions.

It also calls on the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to break his silence concerning the incident, and to open an investigation and locate the whereabouts of Al-Dhubhawi, bearing the responsibility of protecting the media headquarters and their media-workers, especially since the security forces took a bystander position during the storming of the channel.

The association also calls on the government to open the file of impunity, and to prosecute armed elements that target journalists, in order to harm them and silence their voices.