The Supreme Administrative Court of Iraq reinstated Fadl Farajallah, former head of the Iraqi Media Network (IMN), on May 31, annulling the appointment of the network’s current president, Nabil Jasem. Iraq's next elections are slated for October 2021 and deep differences plague the various political blocs, which are fighting to control the state media.

Jasem took up his post as the network’s CEO on July 19, 2020. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Khadimi asked him to preserve the IMN’s independence and to make it the voice of the Iraqis rather than a mouthpiece for the government.

According to the law, the IMN is an independent body supervised by a board of trustees whose members are chosen by parliament. But since its establishment following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, the IMN has been effectively under the authority of the prime minister’s office while the various political parties vy to control it.

Jasem told Al-Monitor, “The IMN is the official public broadcasting institution. It was affiliated with the Dawa Party headed by Prime Minster Nour al-Maliki, and his party continued to control it even after he left office in 2014. He added, “The Dawa Party is seeking to retake control of the IMN through the administrative court system before the October 2021 parliamentary elections, to use the network’s print and audio-visual media in electoral propaganda.”