CPJ was unable to verify his arrest as of this writing. Other news sources have been suppressed. Authorities reportedly jam foreign radio broadcasts. The possession of a satellite dish is a crime punishable by imprisonment and fines. Although the government announced in October that it would allow restricted access to satellite television on a subscription basis, it was unclear when and how such a system would be implemented.
Foreign publications are available in the autonomous Kurdish areas of northern Iraq.
In the rest of the country, citizens have essentially no access to foreign newspapers and magazines that criticize the Iraqi regime in any way. Iraq is also one of the few countries in the Arab world that are not yet connected to the Internet. According to New York based Human Rights Watch, the Iraqi government blames damage inflicted on the nation's telecommunications infrastructure by air strikes. Reportedly, authorities also prohibit the unauthorized use of modems to access Internet servers outside the country. As a result of these efforts to control the flow of information into the country, most Iraqis have little access to independent news.