Najaf security detains two for blackmailing women online
Shafaq News- Najaf
Iraqi security forces arrested two men in Najaf province on Friday on charges of blackmailing women, a police source told Shafaq News.
The source explained that one suspect threatened to publish a woman’s private photos on social media to extort her, while the other posted an image of a university student in a mobile messaging group for the same purpose.
The Interior Ministry’s Community Police Department logged more than 13,000 complaints of digital harassment and blackmail in 2024, many involving falsified content such as fabricated videos, cloned voice recordings, and doctored images that circulate rapidly online. Officials believe the true figure is higher due to underreporting driven by fear of stigma or retaliation.
No official data have yet been released for 2025. However, the Ministry said it arrested 40 individuals accused of blackmailing women online within a three-month period.
Iraqi law addresses blackmail and related offenses under Articles 430–432 of the Penal Code, with penalties ranging from one to seven years in prison depending on the severity of the crime. In 2025, authorities launched the “Ameen” digital platform to counter online extortion and other cybercrimes, introducing a rapid-response system that refers cases to specialized investigative teams.
Read more: The new blackmail in Iraq: AI and the exploitation of women
