DUBAI: The Middle East media giant, MBC Group has condemned the attacks on its Iraq offices in Baghdad on Monday.
The attacks left considerable damage to the equipment and studios, and the group asked local authorities to investigate the matter.
There has been no official statement on the perpetrotrators of the attack yet.
MBC Group strongly condemns the deliberate attack that has targeted MBC IRAQ’s studios and offices in Baghdad today, which has resulted in severe damage to studio and office property.
In terms of immediate action, MBC Group places the matter in the hands of the Iraqi authorities, trusting in its security protocols, as well as judicial process, in order to protect MBC IRAQ’s employees and the organisation, which operates in Iraq in accordance with the laws and regulations of the country.
MBC Group hopes to receive full details of the circumstances of the attack at the earliest, and work with the authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable, as well as bring them to justice, in order to prevent similar attacks in the future.
Iraq’s Ministry of Interior released a statement on their website, which stated that they will investigate the matter and find the perpetrators.
While we affirm and guarantee the right to peaceful protest by legitimate means, we reject any outlawed aggression or behavior against the media or private and public property and it will be dealt with in accordance with the laws in force. Ensuring the freedom and security of the media is part of the responsibility of the security forces, and the regulation of the work of the media is the responsibility of the Communication and Media Commission, which started with legal measures to address what was issued earlier from the Middle East TV network (MBC)
Dozens of demonstrators were protesting in front of the channel’s headquarters in Baghdad as they considered the channel’s portrayal of slain Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis an “insult,” local media reported.
The Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi leader was killed alongside top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad on January 3.
MBC has aired a program – called Malek Beltawila – which discussed in one of the episodes how the wife of a famous Arab poet was killed in the 1981 attack on Iraq’s embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. The show said that Al-Muhandis was involved in the planning of the attack.
