Iraq Media Watchdog Condemns Attacks Against Newspaper

  • By RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq

An Iraqi newspaper's caricature of Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei resulted in death threats for the cartoonist.

BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi media freedom watchdog has raised concerns over an attack against a Baghdad-based newspaper.

In a statement issued on February 10, the Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq said that three bombs had exploded near the entrance to the headquarters of the "al-Sabah-al-Jadeed" (New Morning) newspaper the previous day, severely damaging the newspaper's offices.

The attack took place after the newspaper printed a caricature of Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 6.

The newspaper’s editor, Ismail Zayer, was cited by the association as saying that the author of the caricature, Ahmad al-Rubaie, had received threats from unspecified armed groups.

The newspaper's offices were attacked despite the fact that it issued an apology in its issue on February 8.