Aswat al-Iraq

Aswat al-Iraq was founded in 2004 as an independent Iraqi national news agency during a period of profound political and security transformation in the country. Its development was supported financially by the United Nations Development Programme, with additional assistance from the Reuters Foundation and Internews. The founding model emphasized independent reporting, multilingual publication, and the development of Iraqi journalistic capacity rather than the creation of a conventional print newspaper or broadcast network. The agency initially operated from Baghdad, where it built a reporting network intended to cover national events from across Iraq. Security conditions led the organization to move its base to Cairo in 2005. In that city, the agency was hosted by the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate. The relocation provided a safer operating environment while allowing the organization to continue gathering news from Iraq through its reporters and stringers. In the spring of 2007, Aswat al-Iraq moved its central desk to Erbil in the Kurdistan Region. Baghdad remained important to its work, and the agency maintained correspondents and editors there. Its wider network extended across all 18 Iraqi governorates and included links to regional cities such as Amman, Cairo, Damascus, and Tehran. This structure enabled the agency to combine on-the-ground Iraqi reporting with access to regional editorial and logistical centers. Aswat al-Iraq developed a substantial multilingual output. Its Arabic service produced more than 60 stories daily according to reference descriptions, while the English service produced roughly 20 to 25 stories and the Sorani Kurdish service approximately 15 to 20. The agency published its stories on its own website, where they could be accessed by readers and republished by other organizations. Arabic-language reports were used by media outlets in Iraq and across the Arab world, including Al Sharq Al Awsat, Ad Dustour, and the Saudi Press Agency. English-language stories were cited by international publications and institutions including The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, The Guardian, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, and Amnesty International. Training was another important element of the organization’s identity. Aswat al-Iraq functioned as a working environment in which Iraqi reporters and editors could gain experience in news gathering, writing, translation, and multilingual distribution. Its institutional role therefore extended beyond the delivery of news: it also contributed to the professional development of journalists in a country where independent media organizations faced serious security and operational pressures. The agency’s history is marked by the dangers faced by its staff. Three journalists who worked for Aswat al-Iraq were killed. Sahar Hussein al-Haideri, one of those journalists, received the Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism in 2007 and was honored posthumously by Amnesty International UK in 2008. Her recognition brought international attention to both her work and the risks associated with reporting in Iraq. Zuhair Al-Jezairy, an Iraqi journalist and writer, was identified as the agency’s director in the available reference material. He was a visiting scholar at the United States Institute of Peace in 2008. The organization has been described as legally registered both as an offshore company in Cyprus and as a nonprofit organization in the Kurdistan autonomous region, with NGO registration in Baghdad reportedly in process. Available references do not provide reliable current information on ownership, present leadership, financial condition, or whether the news service remains active, so its current status is recorded as unknown.

1. 2008Posthumous Amnesty International UK media recognition

   Sahar Hussein al-Haideri is posthumously honored with an Amnesty International UK Media Award.

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2. 2007Central desk relocates to Erbil

   Aswat al-Iraq moves its central desk to Erbil while continuing to maintain reporting and editorial connections with Baghdad.

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3. 2007Sahar Hussein al-Haideri receives Kurt Schork Award

   Journalist Sahar Hussein al-Haideri, who worked for the agency, receives the Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism.

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4. 2005Operational base moves to Cairo

   The agency relocates from Baghdad to Cairo because of security concerns and is hosted by the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.

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5. 2004Agency founded

   Aswat al-Iraq is established as an independent Iraqi national news agency with support from the United Nations Development Programme, the Reuters Foundation, and Internews.

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An independent, multilingual Iraqi news agency focused on national reporting, regional reach, and locally produced coverage for Iraqi, Arab, and international media audiences.

• Arabic news serviceNews agency service2004

  The agency's principal output is Arabic-language reporting on Iraqi national affairs. Reference material describes production of more than 60 Arabic stories per day, with reports published on the agency website and frequently reused by Iraqi and Arab media organizations.

• English news serviceInternational news service2004

  The English service translates and produces reporting for readers and media organizations outside the Arabic-speaking market. It has been cited by international newspapers, news organizations, and human-rights institutions. Reference material describes an output of approximately 20 to 25 stories per day.

• Sorani Kurdish news serviceRegional-language news service2004

  The Sorani Kurdish service extends the agency's coverage to Kurdish-speaking audiences, particularly relevant to its operational base in the Kurdistan Region. Available descriptions indicate production of approximately 15 to 20 stories per day.

• Journalism trainingProfessional training2004

  Aswat al-Iraq has also functioned as a training environment for Iraqi journalists. Its newsroom model provided practical experience in reporting, editing, multilingual publication, and coverage of a complex national news environment.

• 2007Central desk relocation to ErbilStrategy

  After operating from Cairo, the agency sought an operational base closer to Iraq while retaining access to its national reporting network.

  What changed. The central desk moved to Erbil in the Kurdistan Region, with continued correspondents and editors in Baghdad.

  Aftermath. Erbil became the agency's documented operational base, while the organization continued coverage across Iraq and from regional cities.

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• 2005Relocation from Baghdad to CairoStrategy

  The agency faced security pressures while operating from Baghdad during Iraq's post-2003 conflict environment.

  What changed. Aswat al-Iraq moved its operational base to Cairo and was hosted by the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.

  Aftermath. The agency continued reporting on Iraq through its national network before later moving its central desk to Erbil.

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• 2008Sahar Hussein al-Haideri receives posthumous journalism honors

  Journalist Sahar Hussein al-Haideri, who worked for Aswat al-Iraq and was killed, is recognized with an Amnesty International UK Media Award after receiving the Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism in 2007.

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• 2007Central desk moves to Erbil

  The agency moves its central desk from Cairo to Erbil in the Kurdistan Region while retaining reporting links with Baghdad.

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• 2005Agency moves its base from Baghdad to Cairo amid security concerns

  Aswat al-Iraq relocates its main operation to Cairo and is hosted by the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.

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• 2004Aswat al-Iraq is established as an independent Iraqi news agency

  The agency begins operations with support from the United Nations Development Programme, the Reuters Foundation, and Internews.

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1. Aswat al-Iraq