An assailant on a motorcycle shot down a popular Iraqi TikToker.

A popular Iraqi TikToker who was jailed last year for posting “indecent” content on social networks was shot dead in Baghdad on Friday, two security officials said.

Om Fahad, with tens of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram, became famous for his videos of himself appearing in skimpy clothes, moving to the rhythm of Iraqi music in the largely conservative and patriarchal country.

The young woman was shot dead by an assailant on a motorcycle while she was in her vehicle in front of her home in central Baghdad, two security officials told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In February 2023, the court initially sentenced Om Fahad to six months in prison for “posting several videos with obscene intent and violating public decency and customs”.

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

For this purpose, a platform was created to allow Internet users to report inappropriate publications. Many social media stars have been jailed or forced to apologize for their content, which is sometimes nothing more than humorous or satirical videos.

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

In Iraq, which has been wracked by decades of conflict, the circulation of weapons is widespread, although security forces have launched a campaign to recover these arsenals.

AFP