BAMRO

The Belgian human rights and development organisation, BAMRO, has sent a letter to the Human Rights Committee to the Iraqi parliament regarding the law on cybercrime. The letter invoked the importance of reformulating the current law, which is a major violation of international law and human rights conventions. This law ignores the recommendations of the United Nations and all conventions and treaties of freedom of expression. The letter also covered the details of the criticised digital offences law after its first exposure to the Iraqi parliament, subject to the advice of various political parties who regret this tragic setback in freedom. expression in a country whose constitution guaranteed freedom.
The broad wording of this law can easily become a tool of repression in the country because the margin of free expression and criticism is very constrained. The law, which covers 31 articles of law, was established in 2011 because of several failures. Despite the reformulation of some elements, the project still contains ambiguous points. Article 6 states that anyone who tries to interfere with the work of the authorities and the general system using the digital route will be sentenced to life or pay a fine between 25 and 50 million Iraqi dinar (between 21,000 USD and 42,000 USD). Article 22 states that anyone who attributes words, images or expression to another person who involves insults through the computer network will be sentenced to two years in prison and will pay a fine of no less than two million dinars (1700 USD ) or more than five million dinar ($4,200), without explaining in detail the text of the law.
Our organization hopes that this law will not be accepted by Parliament and that freedom of expression and the dignity of people will be respected in Iraq.