13 local journalists were killed in Iraq in 2016

As many as 13 Iraqi journalists were killed and 179 others were attacked across Iraq during 2016, a rights group has revealed in a new report. Most of those killed lost their lives at the hands of Daesh militants while covering the war in the country, said the Iraqi Journalists’ Rights’ Defence Association.

Apart from physical violence, many journalists have also been threatened by persons unknown for publishing stories about corruption in state institutions. “There is a lack of interest shown by Iraq’s security services in following up such threats and initiating formal investigations,” the report noted.

State institutions are deliberately obscuring and withholding information from various media outlets, it explained. They tend to deal negatively with journalists and correspondents for satellite TV channels.

The financial crisis in Iraq has had an impact on media institutions, said the association. Dozens of journalists have faced arbitrary redundancy, while several media outlets have stopped working due to a lack of funding.

Iraq has been one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work in since the overthrow of the former regime in 2003.