New security committee to monitor hate speech in Iraq

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq has formed a specialized security committee to monitor hate speech and ethnic or sectarian content, the Security Media and Public Relations Authority said in a statement on Wednesday.

Chaired by the authority within the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the committee includes representatives from the Interior Ministry, Iraqi National Intelligence Service, National Security Service, Information Operations Center, and specialized security directorates. It will monitor content that could inflame sectarian or ethnic tensions and take action under existing legal frameworks.

On August 27, Security Media Authority chief Lt. Gen. Saad Maan stated that authorities had observed an increase in hate speech, warning that those promoting it could face legal action. A day earlier, Parliament instructed its Legal Committee and other relevant committees to follow up on a request from lawmakers concerning measures against hate speech.

Iraq’s Penal Code criminalizes several forms of sectarian and ethnic incitement, including promoting sectarian tensions, inciting conflict between sects or ethnic groups, and stirring hatred among Iraqis.