Iraqi court summons analyst Najm al-Qassab on fraud charges

Shafaq News – Baghdad

An Iraqi court on Tuesday issued a summons warrant against political analyst Najm al-Qassab on charges of misleading public opinion and defamation.

A security source told Shafaq News that Baghdad’s al-Rusafa Investigative Court referred the case to the al-Rusafa Misdemeanor Court, which handles integrity-related offenses, where al-Qassab will face trial under Article 456 of the Penal Code for “fraud and deception in a manner violating honor.”

Al-Qassab, who manages a dialogue center called Al-Mawred, has faced multiple legal actions in recent months. In July, Baghdad’s al-Karkh Third Investigative Court issued a summons against him on charges of lying and media extortion. Earlier this month, the Integrity Investigative Court referred him to the same misdemeanor court on similar charges.

Despite a modest improvement in Iraq’s international press freedom ranking, analysts say journalists and political commentators continue to face a fraught environment marked by lawsuits, threats, and violence. Recent cases include the sentencing of political analyst Mohammed Nanaa to three months in prison for “insult and defamation.”