Basra court orders activist detained over Shalamcheh border crossing posts

BASRA, Iraq — A court in Basra has ordered the detention of media worker and activist Mustafa Abdurrazzak Reza al-Mayahi over his social media posts about border crossings, an informed source said. The Court of Publications and Media ruled that he be held in custody until Wednesday to allow investigators to complete procedures stemming from a complaint filed by the General Authority of Borders. According to the source, the decision was made to document al-Mayahi's statements on social media and to continue the investigation. He had shared footage of the Shalamcheh border crossing and called for allowing private civilian vehicles to enter and for the removal of the 3,000-dinar entry fee. The source said al-Mayahi is currently being held at the Ashar police station and that his statement is expected to be formally recorded. Investigators are reviewing the content of the posts that prompted the complaint. No further details were immediately available.