New York, April 28, 2016 -
Iraqi authorities should immediately restore Al-Jazeera's operating
license, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The Qatari
broadcaster reported that Iraqi authorities informed it Wednesday that
its license to operate had been withdrawn.
According to a statement from Al-Jazeera, the network received a letter from the Iraqi
Commission of Media and Communications (CMC) saying its license had been
withdrawn for violating "official codes of conduct and broadcasting
rules and regulations." The network said it was "shocked and bewildered"
by the decision and denied it had violated any professional standards
of reporting. It also said it would continue reporting on Iraq despite
the decision.
"Iraq is resorting to bureaucratic measures to censor Al-Jazeera, one
of the region's leading broadcasters. It's that simple," said CPJ
Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour. "Iraqi
authorities should immediately restore Al-Jazeera's license and allow
all journalists to do their jobs without harassment."
The CMC did not publish a copy of the letter on its website and did
not respond to CPJ's requests for comment. The CMC Board of Trustees on
March 23 resolved to withdraw Al-Jazeera's license for one year, claiming the network had
stoked sectarian feeling and incited violence in its coverage,
according to a report published on the commission's website. The report said the decision, which can be appealed, applied to Al-Jazeera's
Arabic and English channels for one year. It did not specify any
specific reports that it considered to have violated its regulations.
It was not immediately clear why Al-Jazeera received the letter more
than a month after the CMC decision, or if the decision was linked to
the letter. Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 65,
which established the CMC in March 2004, requires television stations
to acquire a license from the regulator in order to open offices,
broadcast, and employ staff in the country. But the CMC depends on the
Ministry of Interior to enforce its orders, and unlicensed channels are
still able to broadcast their signals from outside the country.
It was not immediately clear if Al-Jazeera had appealed the CMC's
decision. A spokesman for Al-Jazeera referred CPJ to the broadcaster's
public statement.
Today's move against Al-Jazeera comes a month after the Ministry of Interior closed the offices of the pro-Sunni satellite channel Al-Baghdadia TV, whose license the CMC had also withdrawn.
In 2013, the CMC suspended the licenses of Al-Jazeera and nine other channels on accusations of
reporting with a "sectarian tone" and promoting unnamed "terrorist
organizations" in response to their coverage of pro-Sunni demonstrations
against the Iraqi government.
This morning, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad as Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi contended with a
political crisis that has hindered the military campaign against the
Islamic State group, according to news reports. After a drawn out
political battle, Al-Abadi won parliament's approval to replace several
ministers on Tuesday. But popular protests against corruption and
political patronage have forced Iraqi authorities to return security
forces to the capital from the frontline, Reuters reported.