The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights said that the Iraqi security forces used excessive violence against journalists covering the protest demonstrations in the province of Basra. These letters threaten journalists to prevent them from covering demonstrations.
The observatory also said: "There can be no democratic movement in the country unless there is free media approaching the lives of citizens.
The violence used by the security forces against journalists in the demonstrations in Basra indicates a police mentality that views the media as an enemy".
In the demonstrations that took place in December 2018, a group of journalists working in the province of Basra reported that the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights was attacked by security forces that were surrounding the demonstrations.
WTV correspondent Fouad Al-Hilfi, The correspondent of the Baghdad agency today Hassan al-Menshawi, and the correspondent of the world channel Fadhel al-Battat, In addition to the free channel photographer Dawood Salman. They were beaten and assaulted by the security forces, and some of them were confiscated from the cameras they were using.
A member of the monitoring network at the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights in Basra province, "The journalists who were assaulted by the security forces, were covering the demonstrations, they were carrying cameras authorized to use them and the official permits from the organs of the state, but the assault was on some elements on the pretext that photography Forbidden".
Photographer Mohammed Samir, a future journalist who was filming demonstrations for the benefit of international news agencies "A security man tried to prevent us from filming, but we told him that photography was a fundamentalist and did not violate the law. Then he repeated his request to stop filming, so we refused, and threatened to arrest and pull the cameras.
We did not bow to his demands because we were not doing anything that was against the law".
He also said "Ten minutes later he came with a group of security men in black uniforms and I think they are Swat forces. They tried to turn off the cameras and pull them out, but we refused, and then they started hitting a group of us. I was able to escape and retreat and keep my camera. I saw them beating photographers and journalists with batons".
The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights said that "the methods used against journalists during their coverage of the demonstrations do not coincide with the Iraqi government promises that journalists are not harmed, and that the coverage of the media is not subject to any harassment from anyone." These actions contradict the words of officials in the Iraqi government.
Safa Khalaf, a journalist for the governor of Basra, said "There is a negative relationship between the security man and the camera, the security guy believes that the camera is his enemy and that they do not represent people, do not portray their lives and move them, so they are always against power".
He also said that "Recent attacks indicate systematic action to visit journalists and attack them. Otherwise, what can we call media professionals covering the demonstrations? The security man needs training and education that focuses on the fact that the journalists and the cameras they carry are not an enemy, but part of a democratic system that Iraq is supposed to enjoy".
The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights said that "Repeated attacks prove that there is no government accountability for any of those who used to attack journalists in the past and that the cases of impunity are increasing every day, all because of the negligence of Iraqi governments with the attacks demanding journalists and threatening their lives".
The observatory also said, "The government of Adel Abdul Mahdi should take genuine action in defending journalists, and not be like previous governments that facilitated cases of impunity with intent or unintentionally, and contributed to increased attacks on them".
