Iraq battles online blackmail with new initiatives
Shafaq News/ Iraqi civil society organizations launched various awareness campaigns to educate women on the dangers of digital extortion, its methods, and preventive measures.
Director of the Naya Center for Media Training, Yasser Ismail, told Shafaq News that the increasing use of technology and social media has led to frequent privacy breaches affecting women. To counter this, a national awareness campaign has been launched under the initiative of the Supreme Youth Council and with the sponsorship of the Prime Minister, funded through the National Youth Competition grant.
Ismail explained that the campaign targets women aged 15 to 35, educating them about online blackmail risks. Activities include awareness articles, short films, radio programs, and eight discussion sessions across Iraq, engaging women and activists from each province. Additionally, a social media campaign will highlight the issue, prevention strategies, and official channels for reporting extortion cases.
Online blackmail is among the most prevalent cybercrimes in Iraq, where perpetrators intimidate victims—often through social media—by threatening to leak private information to obtain financial or personal favors. The crime has become a major concern for Iraqi families, with women making up 70% of reported cases and men accounting for 30%, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. Victims are primarily aged between 15 and 35.
On January 20, 2024, Major General Khaled Al-Muhanna, Director of the Ministry of Interior’s Public Relations and Media Department, announced that community police teams had provided psychological and moral support to 9,384 victims of online blackmail, domestic violence, and escape cases.
According to community police, online extortion typically occurs through two main methods: Excessive trust, where the victim develops a close relationship with the perpetrator, who later exploits personal photos or sensitive information; and cyber hacking, due to a lack of cybersecurity awareness and inadequate protection of their devices.
In response to the growing threat, Iraq’s Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, approved the establishment of the Cyber Crimes Directorate within the Ministry of Interior. The new unit, proposed by Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari on February 19, aims to bolster security efforts in combating cybercrime, particularly those conducted via social media platforms.
Iraqi Law on Cybercrime and Blackmail
Under Iraqi law, cybercrimes, including blackmail and threats, are addressed in Articles 430 to 432 of the Penal Code. Penalties vary based on the severity of the crime, with imprisonment ranging from one to seven years.
Article 430: Anyone who threatens another person with committing a felony against them or their family—including defamation or dishonor—will face imprisonment of up to seven years. The same punishment applies to threats made anonymously or attributed to a group.
Article 431: Threats involving crimes such as murder, kidnapping, theft, rape, or slander against a person or their family, outside the provisions of Article 430, are punishable by imprisonment.
Article 432: Verbal, physical, or written threats—delivered personally or through an intermediary—outside the conditions specified in Articles 430 and 431 are punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine not exceeding 100 dinars.
