Iraqi Media Authority Bans Presenter Hatip Adil for 30 Days Over False Report

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi Media and Communications Authority has banned presenter Hatip Adil from appearing on all local and foreign media for 30 days. The regulator said the sanction resulted from a social media post in which Adil shared a headline stating a passenger plane had crashed in the Karbala desert. The authority said Monday that its media regulation department found the post violated broadcasting rules. Officials said the crash claim had not been verified by authorities and that spreading unconfirmed information breaches media regulations. The ban takes effect from the date the official decision was issued and will remain in place for 30 days. The regulator communicated the sanction through an official letter distributed to media organizations in Iraq. The authority said publishing or broadcasting unverified claims that could mislead the public constitutes a violation under Iraqi media law and carries penalties.