Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s human rights situation is undergoing instability, with new concerns emerging over restrictions on freedoms and the legal framework that governs them, the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights (IOHR) said on Wednesday.

IOHR urged the judiciary to clarify broad legal terms—such as “political system” and “public order”—arguing that vague definitions allow authorities to restrict free expression. It also called for suspending several Penal Code articles and a recent Public Prosecution directive that rights groups say are frequently used to pursue critics and limit speech.

The Observatory Chairman, Mustafa Saadoon, told Shafaq News that the human rights situation in Iraq “is witnessing clear volatility,” adding that IOHR is not an adversary to the state, but firmly rejects any attempt to restrict or terminate freedoms.

Wissam Al-Mulla, the IOHR media advisor, stated to Shafaq News that several protective laws remain unpassed despite constitutional guarantees. Some proposals, he said, will be submitted to the three presidencies to push for stronger human rights provisions in future legislation.

Read more: Iraq's vague Protest Law: A tool for control or a framework for rights?

In January, Iraq ranked 182nd in the 2025 Human Freedom Index and was described as “very dangerous” for travel, following a Human RightsWatch report that warned of intensified restrictions on freedoms throughout 2024.