An attacker on a motorcycle shoots a popular Iraqi Tik Tok, accusing him of its content (video)

A popular Iraqi TikToker, who was sentenced to prison last year for posting content deemed “inappropriate” on social media, was shot dead on Friday in Baghdad, two security officials said.

Umm Fahd, who has tens of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram, is famous for her videos in which she appears in tight clothes, moving to the rhythm of Iraqi music, in a largely conservative and patriarchal country.

The young woman was shot dead by an attacker on a motorcycle while she was in her car in front of her house in central Baghdad, according to what two security officials told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In February 2023, the court first sentenced Umm Fahd to six months in prison on charges of “publishing several videos with intentions to outrage modesty and public customs.”

Last year, the Iraqi government launched a campaign to identify and prosecute “degenerate content” on social media that conflicts “with the morals and traditions” of society.

For this purpose, a platform has been created that allows Internet users to report inappropriate posts. Many social media stars have been sentenced to prison or forced to apologize for their content, which was sometimes nothing more than humorous or satirical videos.

In 2018, model and influencer Tara Fares was killed in Baghdad by multiple gunshots in her white Porsche convertible.

In Iraq suffering from decades of conflict, arms circulation is widespread, although security forces have launched a campaign to restore this arsenal.

France Press agency