This statement addresses the suppression of cultural freedoms in Dhi Qar. IOHR documented the arbitrary arrest of activist Ayman Ammar and the cancellation of the "Nasiriyah Taqraa" festival over book contents. We consider this security encroachment a constitutional violation and demand the immediate release of detainees and an end to the crackdown on civil initiatives.
February 15, 2026
Security authorities in Dhi Qar Governorate, southern Iraq, arrested activist Ayman Ammar, the events director for the "Nasiriyah Taqraa" (Nasiriyah Reads) festival, on Thursday, February 12, 2026. The arrest took place while he was en route to present official permits and documentation to the relevant authorities at the city's entrance checkpoint for the festival, which was scheduled to be held last Friday, February 13, 2026. The arrest followed the seizure of a collection of books containing content that security agencies deemed "promotion" of prohibited ideas; he was subsequently transferred from the police station to the Intelligence Directorate, amid concerns that his file might be referred to Counter-Terrorism.
Following the arbitrary arrest of the festival director, security authorities in Dhi Qar informed the preparatory committee of the final cancellation of the "Nasiriyah Taqraa" festival and the confiscation of all previously obtained official permits. The cancellation decision came on the eve of the festival's launch, citing "security concerns" and suspicion regarding the content of the books, which aborted a four-month voluntary effort and deprived the city of a cultural event aimed at distributing 5,000 books for free.
Hussein al-Ghazi, head of the preparatory committee for the "Nasiriyah Taqraa" festival, stated in an interview with the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights (IOHR) that the festival management worked tirelessly for four months to collect 5,000 books for free distribution. Al-Ghazi confirmed that the committee had obtained all official and legal approvals from the National Security Service, the Police Command, the Directorate of Youth and Sports, the Municipality, and the Dhi Qar Provincial Council.
He added that on Thursday, February 12, a shipment of books donated by individuals in the capital, Baghdad, arrived; at the Nasiriyah entrance checkpoint, the boxes were searched, and an old booklet for the Pharmacists Syndicate and a medical magazine containing images of the former regime (referring to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, 1979–2003) were found. Consequently, security forces arrested the driver on charges of promoting prohibited ideas. When his colleague, Ayman Ammar, went to clarify the situation and present the official papers and permits, he was also arrested. Al-Ghazi further noted that the detainees were moved from the police station to Intelligence, with reports of their files being referred to Counter-Terrorism, despite the festival having specialized sorting committees to isolate any violating content before display.
The city of Nasiriyah in Dhi Qar Governorate possesses an extensive cultural heritage as the birthplace of the first written letters in Sumer. The "Nasiriyah Taqraa" festival is one of the civil activities aimed at promoting social peace. However, this cultural space is currently facing security challenges manifested in the prevention of the festival and the revocation of official permits, threatening to undermine intellectual activity and tighten the grip on public freedoms in the city.
The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights (IOHR) stated that the actions against the festival represent a serious setback for freedom of expression in Iraq and a blatant retreat from the democratic principles guaranteed by the Constitution in Article 38. The Observatory also stated that preventing reading in the historical city of "Ur" and arresting those responsible for spreading knowledge reflects the magnitude of the gap between official discourse and repressive practices on the ground.
What occurred points to a pattern of "security encroachment" that exceeds the limits of maintaining order; the arrest of activist Ayman Ammar and the transport driver due to an old booklet or a medical magazine does not fall within the jurisdiction of terrorist crimes. Furthermore, referring the files of "cultural" detainees to Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism is an unjustified escalation aimed at "demonizing" voluntary work to ensure the silence of civil society.
Ibrahim al-Sayyid, a member of the festival's organizing committee, described what happened in an interview with the IOHR as "one of the tragedies of the age." He concluded his testimony sadly, stating that the city that gave writing to the world is now being prevented from reading due to arbitrary decisions that do not respect constitutional rights.
The IOHR reaffirms that freedom is indivisible, and that a state that trembles at a "book" is a state living through a crisis of confidence with its citizens. Consequently, we demand the immediate release of the detainees, especially since nothing violating the law has been proven against them.
