Sweden: Amid Assassination Of Iraqi Journalists And Activists In Iraq, Woman Journalist Noor Alqaissi Is On The Verge Of Deportation By The Swedish Authorities.

Location: Sweden, Stockholm
Date: August 27, 2020

Iraqi journalist Noor Maytham Shuhab known as “Noor Al-Qaissi’' s asylum application rejected in may 2029 by the Swedish supreme court because Iraq is no longer categorized as a dangerous country. CFWIJ urges the Swedish authorities to review Noor’s application and review its assessment of the situation in Iraq to comply with human rights and security reports and alerts.

Noor moved to Sweden in 2013 due to the turmoil and militia threats in Iraq against journalists and human rights defenders. Upon her arrival in Sweden, she filed an asylum application on the legal grounds that her life is threatened in Iraq due to her journalism and activism.

For over seven years, Noor has been waiting to obtain international protection. Her application was rejected in the first proceeding. She appealed 3 times on the dismissal verdict. The last appeal was rejected in June 2020.

By examining the court provisions, the dismissal is built upon mere assumptions.

The first assumption is that Iraq is a safe country. According to the US state department travel advisory, Iraq is categorized as a high-risk country that it’s advised not to travel to. It’s still considered an armed conflict zone. Numerous terrorist and insurgent groups are active in Iraq and regularly attack both Iraqi and coalition security forces and civilians.

European Commission in cooperation with Erasmus Mundus released an assessment about challenges and possibilities in Asia. In this assessment, Iraq is considered as a dangerous country because of on-going conflict. There are restrictions in traveling from the north to Baghdad, political turbulences in central Iraq. 

Moreover, since September 2019, mass protests against corruption and Iranian intervention have taken over the country. The protests are still ongoing until now. Dozens of protestors, political activists, and journalists were murdered or assassinated.

Over the past few weeks, political activists and journalists have been targeted. Assassination attempts led to the death of activist Reham Yakoub and others. These assassinations have been escalating over the past months.

This news and assessments in addition to various updates about the situation in Iraq prove that the argument of Iraq is a safe country for journalists and human rights defenders as baseless which needs critical and further research.

Another argument in court’s reasoning for rejection is that Noor didn’t provide enough evidence to prove that her life is threatened in case of deportation to Iraq.

Noor submitted a sample of her writing and documents she obtained from Reporters Sans Frontier organization which is a leading international organization specialized in threats against journalists to support her allegation. Noor has shared with us links for several video reports on Al-Hadath TV channel where her name is mentioned in assassination lists released by Aa’saab Ahl Alhaq militia in Iraq. These lists are titled “Death lists”. Such evidence proves that there’s an imminent threat to her life.

CFWIJ reminds the Swedish government of its international obligation to protect refugees and asylum seekers. In the last Universal periodic review of the human rights situation in Sweden held at the UN human rights council in January 2020, Sweden pledged and accepted recommendations no 156 and 282. These recommendations require Swedish legislation to ensure the rights of migrants and refugees.

As an EU member, Sweden is obligated to protect asylum seekers, based on the European Convention of Human Rights. This process shouldn’t be traumatic or procrastinated. Noor's case has been ongoing for over seven years. For seven years, she was threatened in Iraq and unsettled in Sweden. Her legal status is pending while she can’t plan her future or pursue a career.

CFWIJ urges the Swedish authorities to reconsider Noor’s application as soon as possible and to guarantee her asylum status due to the imminent threats to her life in case of deportation to Iraq. We also call upon the judiciary system to improve and update its assessment for the safety of journalists and civilians in general in Iraq.

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

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