RafidainScope -
The Iraqi Rights and Freedoms Council warned of the dangers of legislating the draft IT Crimes Law, which is scheduled for a second reading in Parliament, considering that the law poses a serious threat to freedom of expression and confiscates public freedoms.
In a statement, the Council said that the parliamentary committees' disregard for the objections raised by civil society, journalists, and stakeholders, and reliance on a draft that undermines rights, represents a deviation that turns legislation into a tool for muzzling mouths and restricting freedom of opinion and the press.
The statement identified the reasons for outright rejection of the draft in four main points: violating the Constitution, formally and substantively, with Article (38) which guarantees freedom of expression, the press, and demonstration; using vague and legally undefined terms that
open the door to discretionary interpretations; excessively harsh custodial penalties reaching life imprisonment for crimes related to digital activity or expressing opinion; in addition to a security-driven approach that reflects a mindset seeking to dominate cyberspace rather than protect citizens'
rights.
The Council called for immediately withdrawing the draft law from the Parliament's session agenda and redrafting it with effective participation from civil society organizations, media institutions, and legal experts to ensure the protection of digital rights without compromising freedom of expression.
