Shafaq News- Al-Anbar
The head of the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate's Al-Anbarbranch on Thursday dismissed a report ranking the province second in Iraq forviolations against press freedom, calling its findings “inaccurate.”
Ahmed Al-Rashed told Shafaq News that Al-Anbar offers a safeenvironment, allowing reporters to move freely and carry out their work. Hesaid conditions in Al-Anbar are comparable to those in other Iraqi provincesand support media activity.
According to Al-Rashed, authorities had not arrested anyjournalists in Al-Anbar over the past four years, except for the case ofjournalist Khaled Al-Qara Ghouli, who was summoned “politely for questioning,”with the meeting ending in less than an hour.
Al-Nakhil Center ranked Al-Anbar second after Baghdad forthe number of reported violations against journalists. It documented 59 pressfreedom breaches across Iraq during the first half of 2026, with theremaining cases recorded in Karbala, Basra, Erbil, and Kirkuk.
In May, Reporters Without Borders ranked Iraq 162nd out of180 countries in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, down seven places from theprevious year. The organization cited recurring violence against journalists,political pressure, and economic challenges facing independent media.
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