Iraqi journalist faces jail term over defamation case
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraqi Al-Karkh Misdemeanor Court sentenced journalist Qahtan Adnan to one year in prison on charges of defamation, insult, and slander, according to a judicial ruling on Tuesday.
The court also issued an arrest and search warrant against Adnan, and ordered that the verdict be published in local newspapers. The ruling stated that Adnan Al-Danbous, a senior figure in the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, led by former Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al- Sudani, filed the complaint against the journalist.
In May, Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi called for adherence to professional and ethical media standards, noting the need to distinguish between freedom of expression and practices such as extortion, defamation, and character assassination.
Iraq's Communications and Media Commission (CMC) suspended five political television programs, fined three media outlets, warned two Arab broadcasters, and restricted 18 media figures between Dec. 1 and May 31.
Iraq ranked 162nd in the 2026 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, placing it alongside Sudan and Yemen at the bottom of the global ranking.
Read more: Can Iraq's free press survive its politically-tainted rulers?
