ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Al Jazeera’s Baghdad bureau has been ordered shut down by the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission (CMC), which also banned the network’s journalists from working in Iraq. Al Jazeera reported that they received a letter from CMC on Wednesday saying that their license was withdrawn because of “violations of the official codes of conduct and broadcasting rules and regulations.” The network released a statement in response to the CMC’s decision denying that they have violated any professional journalism standards and saying it was “shocked” by the decision. “Al Jazeera is committed to its editorial principles in the coverage of current affairs in Iraq. It abides by its code of ethics in its coverage and programming, and by the highest global standards of professionalism, and has been doing so since its launch.” Al Jazeera stated that the CMC’s decision was a violation of Baghdad’s obligation to protect freedom of speech and hopes to re-open its Baghdad bureau as soon as possible. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, in its 2016 World Press Freedom Index, ranked Iraq 158 out of 180 countries, dropping two places from 2015. Reporters Without Borders noted that Iraq is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists and that murders of journalists go unpunished. “In this hostile climate for journalists, the government often closes down media outlets on the grounds that they are ‘sectarian’ or ‘not neutral.’”
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