Baghdad fuel distribution company files legal complaints over online smear campaign

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A Baghdad-based petroleum products distribution company said on July 16, 2026, that it has filed legal complaints against social media accounts running what it described as an organized smear, blackmail and defamation campaign targeting the company and its senior staff. In a written statement, the company said it had filed complaints specifically against accounts named "Hacet Şakir et-Temimi Ebu Turab'ın hayranları" (Fans of Hacet Şakir al-Tamimi Abu Turab) and "Haşdi Şabi Vekili" (Hashd al-Shaabi Representative), along with other pages it accused of spreading false reports and defamatory posts. The company said it had a duty to defend managers carrying out their duties, and that it would also investigate employees suspected of leaking internal information and official documents, with legal action to follow. Officials who knowingly spread lies and defamatory content also face accountability, it added. The statement urged anyone with evidence of corruption or misconduct to bring the matter to the courts or to Iraq's Commission on Integrity, rather than share it online. No further details on the legal proceedings were immediately available.