ERBIL, Kurdistan Region--Free speech in Iraq has taken a hit after Al Jazeera was shut down in the country, said Human Rights Watch (HRW). The decision of Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission to shut down Al Jazeera’s Baghdad bureau is “nothing but an effort to clamp down on freedom of expression,” said Human Rights Watch in a statement published Monday. Al Jazeera received a letter on April 25 from the Commission informing them that their license was withdrawn because of “violations of the official codes of conduct and broadcasting rules and regulations.” The Commission said their decision was based on Al Jazeera’s “continuous violations and offenses and going too far with your media rhetoric that incites sectarianism and violence.” The network’s license has been withdrawn for one year and its journalists are banned from working in Iraq. This is not the first time Al Jazeera has faced censure from the Commission, which has also suspended the licenses of at least nine other channels since 2013. In 2014, reacting to the rise of Islamic State, the Commission introduced guidelines for the media during the war on terror. These guidelines require media outlets to “refrain from broadcasting news material that may be interpreted against security forces” and to “focus on the security achievements of the armed forces… praising the heroic acts performed by security personnel.” In criticizing the Commission’s actions, Human Rights Watch accused them of being politically motivated. “Closing down a prominent international network on the basis of vague and unsubstantiated allegations smacks of political motivation to shut out uncomfortable criticism,” said the deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, Joe Stork, “and it’s an action that should be immediately reversed.” “Iraqis have a right to hear a variety of perspectives on current events.” The United Nations' mission in Iraq (UNAMI) also criticized the move. “While fully respecting the prerogatives of the Commission, at times of crisis a free media – even if opinions are contested, rejected or disliked – becomes even more essential to safeguard the public interest and protect democracy,” read a statement on its website. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, in its 2016 World Press Freedom Index, ranked Iraq 158 out of 180 countries, dropping two places from 2015. The Commission’s decision does not affect Al Jazeera’s journalists working in the autonomous Kurdistan Region.
