The Ninewa provincial council held an emergency meeting on Friday, March 22 in the wake of a ferry incident which claimed the lives of at least 90 people after it capsized in the Tigris River near Mosul.
The council decided to refer Ninewa governor Nawfal al-Akub for investigation after his convoy of vehicles hit three media workers covering a protest staged by relatives of the ferry disaster, including a journalist working for an Iraqi digital media outlet.
The Iraqi Association for Defending Press Freedom denounced the act and said it was aimed to prevent journalists from covering the protests.
Meanwhile, the “Huqooq” Center for Supporting Freedom of Express condemned what it called “repeated violations by the governor against journalists”, urging the victims to file a lawsuit against al-Akub.
The Ninewa provincial council decided to cancel the license of the tourist site where the ferry sank and bring the investors and the site’s management board to court.
Meanwhile, it ordered a full investigation so that all those responsible would be held accountable. The council also called for allocating compensations for those affected in the incident.
On March 21, an overloaded ferry capsized in a recreational site in the Tigris River near Mosul, killing at least 90 people mostly women and children.
