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On January 7, Russia Today headlined, "Silent spring: Press gagged over Iraqi protests," saying:
Press freedom's "a long way off in a country where journalists say they are routinely imprisoned, beaten or simply killed by" US and state security forces.
Like elsewhere across the region, Iraqis also began protesting for freedom and social justice. However, journalists "trying to cover their protests were all but silenced by government security forces."
HRW's deputy director Joe Stark called journalists an "endangered species" in today's Iraq, adding:
"There seems to be a high level of intolerance for dissent, or for public criticism of either government policies, or of particular leaders."
Freelance journalist Yousif Al-Timimi said security forces targeted him for doing his job, saying:
Thanks to help from two foreign journalists, he managed to escape, but stopped covering protests for his safety.
"It became hard for journalists to" try. He stopped because he's afraid of being arrested and mistreated.
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