Iraq News Now

Iraq sentences man to 4 years for blackmailing female with photos

Iraq sentences man to  years for blackmailing female with photos
Iraq sentences man to 4 years for blackmailing female with photos

2019-08-22 00:00:00 - Source: kurdistan 24

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – An Iraqi court on Thursday sentenced a man who had been convicted of blackmailing a female by threatening to publicize compromising photographs of her.

Baghdad’s Karkh Criminal Court “considered the case of a convict who blackmailed a girl” by telling her he would “publish her pictures on social networking websites” unless he was paid a sum of money, the Higher Judicial Council said in a statement.

The statement added that “the convict took gold (jewelry) from the complainant… after repeated blackmail, prompting the complainant to” turn him into the authorities.

An Iraqi female involving the authorities in such a case is a rare occurrence because of fear of retribution from the perpetrator and the reactions from family and friends, especially if the incident involves explicit photos of the victim. Reactions from a woman's family can be violent, including so-called "honor" killing.  

Some men in the region, aware of the leverage such pictures hold over women, use that fact to exploit them further. There have been instances where they demanded additional, and sometimes even more graphic photos, increasing the power they hold over their victims. 

The statement also pointed out that the decision was made "in accordance with the provisions of Article 430/1 of the [Iraqi] Penal Code."

According to law, “Any person who threatens another with the commission of a felony against his person or property or against the person or property of others or with the imputation to him of certain dishonorable matters or with the revelation of such matters and such threat is accompanied by a demand or charge to carry out or refrain from carrying out an act or is intended to be so accompanied is punishable by a term of imprisonment not exceeding 7 years or by detention.”

Editing by John J. Catherine 





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