Region | Iraq
Imprisoned journalist freed in Iraq
An international media watchdog says a freelance journalist imprisoned in northern Iraq for writing about homosexuality has been pardoned and released.
- Agencies
- Published: 23:39 December 10, 2008
Imprisoned journalist freed
Baghdad: An international media watchdog says a freelance journalist imprisoned in northern Iraq for writing about homosexuality has been pardoned and released. Adel Hussain was convicted of violating a public decency law by writing an article about sodomy and health in April 2007 in the independent weekly Hawlati. He was sentenced on November 24 to six months in prison. The Committee to Protect Journalists said yesterday that Hussain was pardoned on Sunday by Massoud Barzani, the president of Iraq's self-ruled Kurdish region.
Poll panel to hold petition drive
Baghdad: Iraq's election commission says it will hold a petition drive to see if there is enough support for a referendum in Basra to decide whether the oil-rich province will become a self-ruled region. The commission has set up 34 centres across Basra where voters can sign the petition asking for a self-rule referendum. The drive begins on Monday and will last until January 14. Basra lawmaker Wail Abdul Latif said yesterday that at least 10 per cent of registered voters must sign the petition in order for a referendum to be scheduled.
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