Iraqi PM draws line between free speech and defamation
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi on Saturday called for adherence to professional and ethical media standards, stressing the need to distinguish between freedom of expression and practices such as extortion, defamation, and character assassination.
During a meeting with journalists, opinion leaders, and political and economic specialists who visited him to offer Eid Al-Adha greetings, Al-Zaidi highlighted the role of media professionals and public commentators in clarifying facts and explaining government policies. He also reaffirmed his government’s commitment to supporting national media and press institutions, portraying the sector as an “essential partner in the nation-building process” and an important contributor to anti-corruption efforts, reform, stability, and development.
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According to the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, Iraq ranked 162nd out of 180 countries, falling seven places from the previous year with an overall score of 28.85 out of 100. Ziad Al-Ajili, head of the Press Freedoms Center, previously told Shafaq News that 2025 and 2026 represent among the worst years for Iraqi journalism in recent memory. Restrictions on journalists' movement and access, he said, have increasingly limited field reporting, even as digital tools like artificial intelligence offer theoretical workarounds that institutional and security constraints make difficult to use in practice.
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