Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission (CMC) on Tuesday suspended Sawt Al-Shaab on Iraq Al-Hadath television for 90 days and barred presenter Marwa Hashem from media appearances for the same period over violations of broadcasting rules.

A CMC order seen by Shafaq News said monitoring of episodes broadcast on September 1, 2, and 3 found violations of provisions covering “false and fabricated materials” and accuracy, integrity and transparency in reporting. The regulator also ordered the channel to remedy the violations and submit a formal apology within five days of notification.

Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad said he had filed a complaint against Iraq Al-Hadath and Sawt Al-Shaab a week earlier, accusing the channel of extorting his ministry and its partners. He also said that, in a separate case, an Integrity Court had established extortion involving the channel’s director and his team.

On September 7, Sanad announced the arrest of Iraq Al-Hadath presenter Qusay Shafiq, saying he had been caught “in the act” in an extortion case. Shafiq presents the channel’s talk show Min Al-Dawla.

A security source also told Shafaq News on September 8 that Iranian authorities had detained Iraq Al-Hadath owner Bilal Al-Maliki in Mashhad at Iraq’s request after preliminary statements by Shafiq. Iraqi and Iranian intelligence services were coordinating his return to Iraq for further legal proceedings.