A team of "Huna Baghdad" channel was attacked and prevented from broadcasting while covering a protest for free lectures in the capital, Baghdad.

One of the team members, Runaq Al-Janabi, said in an interview with JFO that "while I was covering a demonstration of free lecturers in front of the Baghdad Governorate building in Al-Salhiya area for the "Sawtak Watan" program (September 11, 2022), which is broadcast on "Huna Baghdad" channel". And "while conducting interviews with the demonstrators, a clash occurred between the demonstrators and the riot police."

The conflict, according to Al-Janabi, was "quite uncomplicated, so I approached to record what was occurring, but one of the riot police got upset with our depiction of what was happening, and he closed the camera lens that was filming me."

Al-Janabi stated: "I tried to stop him from interrupting the recording, but he attacked the photographer who was with me and my colleague (Mustafa Munaf) and tried to smash the camera, leading several journalists to intervene to stop the attack."

Al-Janabi said that "an officer with the status of brigadier general was near to the incident.. he apologized to the staff after a while, and explained that what happened was a personal behavior by one of the security members and he committed to taking the required actions against the aggressor."

JFO condemns the attack on Runaq al-Janabi and Mustafa Munaf and warns against a recurrence of past violations against media professionals.

Furthermore, JFO restates its call for security forces to stop harassing journalists, emphasizing that part of their duty is to protect media professionals rather than harm them.

JFO highlights a considerable increase in the number of violations against journalists in Iraq over the last two months, which varied between direct targeting, prevention of coverage, arrest, and confiscation of recording equipment.