Iraq to launch platform to report sectarian hate speech online

Iraq is set to launch a platform allowing members of the public to report sectarian hate speech and incitement online, a senior security official said on Monday.

Once launched, the platform will enable citizens to report sectarian content disseminated through social media and other online platforms, Security Media Cell chief Saad Maan told the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA).

Maan said those found to be promoting sectarian incitement and hate speech could face legal penalties, with prison sentences of up to 10 years depending on the offence and the relevant provision of Iraqi law.

He said Iraqi law determines what constitutes hate speech and sectarian rhetoric on social media, stressing the importance of distinguishing between freedom of opinion and expression and conduct that infringes on others' privacy or reputation or threatens national security.

Maan pointed to Article 200(2) of the Iraqi Penal Code, which he said is the provision most directly applicable to the work of an Interior Ministry committee dealing with such offences. The article punishes those who promote sectarian or ethnic incitement, encourage conflict between groups or stir hatred and hostility among Iraq's population.

The provision carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison or detention, Maan said, adding that it also applies to hate speech posted on social media.

He also cited Article 202, which covers publicly insulting the Iraqi people or a section of the population and carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison or detention.

Other provisions cover the deliberate dissemination of false or malicious news, statements or inflammatory propaganda that could disturb public order, spread fear among the population or harm the public interest, as well as the publication of false reports or fabricated incidents falsely attributed to others, he said.

Maan said the issue extends beyond sectarian and ethnic rhetoric to content that could disrupt public order, adding that sectarian speech targeting a particular group could affect internal security.

He stressed that the competent court would determine which legal provision applies following an initial investigation by an investigating judge.

Regarding the planned reporting platform, Maan said the Interior Ministry has specialised security, technical and cyber teams capable of screening and analysing reports in coordination with the intelligence service and National Security Service.

He said citizens would be able to use the platform once it is launched, adding that authorities have the technical capabilities to distinguish between individual violations and organised activity on social media and identify those behind such campaigns.

Iraq has long faced sectarian tensions, particularly following the 2003 US-led invasion and the emergence of Sunni and Shia militant groups that contributed to the civil war in the years that followed. The Islamic State group's takeover of large parts of the country between 2014 and 2019 further exacerbated sectarian divisions.

The country operates under an informal power-sharing system in which the presidency is traditionally held by a Kurd, the premiership by a Shia Muslim and the parliamentary speakership by a Sunni Muslim. The presidency is largely ceremonial, while most executive powers are held by the prime minister.

Iraq is also home to a number of religious and ethnic minorities, though many of these communities have declined significantly in size in recent decades.