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Iraq Suspends Reuters License Over COVID-19 Report

Pete Cobus

   An international press watchdog says Iraqi officials have suspended
   Reuters news agency's license for three months after the British wire
   service reported that confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country exceeded
   official statistics.

   According to the New York-based [1]Committee to Protect Journalists,
   Baghdad's Communications and Media Commission on Thursday barred the
   outlet and fined it 25 million Iraqi dinars ($21,000) the same day the
   report published.

   CPJ says the media regulator issued a statement accusing Reuters of
   "endangering public safety and hindering the government's efforts to
   prevent the spread of the virus." The regulator called on Reuters to
   issue a public apology.

   According to the [2]report Thursday by Reuters, Iraq has thousands of
   confirmed COVID-19 cases, many times more than the 772 it has publicly
   reported, according to three doctors closely involved in the testing
   process, a health ministry official and a senior political official.

References

   1. https://cpj.org/2020/04/iraqi-regulator-suspends-reuters-license-for-3-mon.php
   2. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-iraq/iraq-has-confirmed-thousands-more-covid-19-cases-than-reported-medics-say-idUSKBN21K2GQ

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