Ministry to probe violations against journalists

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Ministry of Interior has launched investigations into cases of 48 media personnel, who were subjected to physical liquidation or acts of violence, the director of the ministry’s National Command Center said. “Investigations have been launched following the establishment of a partnership with the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory (JFO) with the aim of protecting journalists while covering news stories,” Staff Maj. Gen. Abdelkareem Khalaf told IraqiNews.com. In late September, the JFO launched a joint project with the Interior Ministry, which aims to safeguard media workers and to allow foreign journalists entry to the country. Khalaf pointed out that the ministry has ordered the arrest of those involved in crimes against journalists. “Some of them are currently being interrogated, while others confessed to having committed those crimes,” Khalaf noted. The JFO is a Baghdad-based non-governmental Iraqi organization that monitors violations and aggression against media staff in Iraq. SS (S) 1