Iraq's media regulator fines Rudaw and Lana, bans analyst
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq's Communications and Media Commission (CMC) on Wednesday fined two media outlets, banned a political analyst from appearing in the media and warned a second analyst, citing breaches of its broadcasting rules on false information and accuracy.
The Kurdish broadcaster Rudaw was warned and fined 10 million dinars (about $6,600) over material published on its digital platforms that the regulator said violated rules on false information and accuracy, according to letters seen by Shafaq News. It was ordered to remove the material and issue a formal apology within five days.
Political researcher Haitham al-Khazali was banned for 30 days from appearing in all local and foreign media operating in Iraq over remarks he made on November 8 on "Ma'a Yasser Amer," a political talk show on Al-Rasheed television. The channel also received a warning over the episode.
The Lana news agency was warned and fined 5 million dinars (about $3,300,) over a November 8 episode of its program "Lana wal Nas," and ordered to apologize within five days, while political analyst Zaidoun al-Salmani, also known as Zaidoun Samir, was warned over a Facebook post and ordered to delete it and apologize within the same period, according to the regulator's letters reported by Iraqi outlets.
The regulator did not say publicly what content prompted the decisions.
Read more: Iraq Between regulation and freedom of expression
