Sulaymaniyah, April 28, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned over an arson threat made by the Raba Allah militia against Al Rabiaa TV in Iraq, which led to the deployment of security forces outside its headquarters for one day.
On April 24, Raba Allah, which is part of the powerful Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah, threatened to burn down the privately owned satellite channel in a Telegram post, which said “We’ll cross over to you, you know what the heater does.”
“The militia threat against Al Rabiaa TV is particularly alarming given the fragile state of the media in Iraq, where journalists have been killed with impunity and face constant editorial pressure from political and religious groups,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ’s regional director. “We urge authorities to take all necessary measures to protect the press and ensure journalists can work safely, without fear of retaliation.”
The threat followed Al Rabiaa TV’s report that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been aware of secret nuclear talks with the United States for two years.
Al Rabiaa TV’s deputy newsroom manager Ziad Al-Aqabi told CPJ that security forces deployed outside the channel’s headquarters on April 25 had since been withdrawn.
“We are working professionally … without insulting anyone,” he said.
Militias have a record of threatening and attacking media outlets in Iraq whose coverage they disagree with. Supporters of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed Al Rabiaa TV ‘s office in 2022.
Iraq is ranked 7th in CPJ’s Global Impunity Index 2024, with 11 unsolved murders of journalists over a decade, and is one of the few countries to have been on the Index every year since its inception in 2007.
CPJ’s text message to interior ministry spokesperson Muqdad Miri requesting comment did not receive any response.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.