Iraqi Parliament Rejects Draft Cybercrime Bill
The Iraqi parliament has voted to reject a law regulating cybercrime, after opponents claimed that it infringed on citizens’ freedoms, writes Ali Abel Sadah.
![A woman uses wireless Internet at an internet shop in Baghdad A woman uses wireless Internet at an internet shop in Baghdad November 10, 2012. Iraqi telecommunications operators have warned that government plans to charge for the extra spectrum which they need to launch long-awaited 3G services could slow Internet adoption and economic growth. Picture taken November 10, 2012 . To match story IRAQ-TELECOMS/ REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen (IRAQ - Tags: SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS TELECOMS SOCIETY) - RTR3ADY1](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2013/02/RTR3ADY1.jpg/RTR3ADY1.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=Sth7Otoi)
On Feb. 5, 2013, the Iraqi parliament responded to a campaign launched by activists against a proposed law criminalizing many means of circulating information. Iraqi lawmakers said that they will draft a new law that preserves public freedoms.
One Iraqi activist, Mazen al-Zaidi, wrote on his Facebook page that the civil movement forced the Iraqi parliament to reject the draft law pertaining to cybercrimes. He said that this bill violates the right of information exchange, as guaranteed by the Iraqi constitution.