Calls to file lawsuit against paper slammed

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Society to Defend Journalists’ Rights has expressed its strong discontent with calls by some parliamentarians to file a lawsuit against al-Mada newspaper for publishing an article that criticized the performance of the current Parliament. “We totally reject this procedure because it is contrary to the principles of the freedom of the press, promoted by the Iraqi constitution,” a media spokesperson for the society, Nadhem al-Okeili, told IraqiNews.com news agency. Okeili said that the procedure would put more restrictions on journalists and open the door to further violations against them. SS (P) 1