ALBAWABA - Iraqi authorities launched a campaign targeting social media influencers in what it calls "#المحتوى_الهابط which means in English bearish content."
Iraqi authorities arrested multiple people amid the hashtag whom it claims to have shared content that violated Iraqi culture in one way or another.
The judicial authorities announced the arrest of a number of social media activists and "certifying their statements" saying they shared content that "offends morals and public taste and offends modesty."
محكمة الكرخ الثالثة: اتخذنا إجراءات بحق 14 متهماً بتهمة #المحتوى_الهابط 6 منهم صدرت بحقهم أحكام بالسجن فيما لا تزال 8 دعاوى تحت الإجراءات التحقيقية pic.twitter.com/6oI4n60fSR
— ِِAmmar Alhadithy | عمار الحديثي (@Ammar_alhadithy) February 13, 2023
Iraq has also called residents to report people who share such content on social media. The campaign stirred debate online where some accused the government of tightening the freedom of speech.
According to reports, the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, received late last year, influencer Ali al-Sharifi, whom activists recently talked about the issuance of arrest warrants against him.
Activists asked Iraqi authorities to define the types of content they are targeting to avoid Arbitrary detention.
