The Ethics Committee formed by the Iraqi Sports Press Union, with the endorsement and approval of the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, decided to suspend the membership of journalist and football analyst Sami Issa from the General Assembly of the Sports Press Union for a full year. They also recommended freezing his membership in the Journalists Syndicate if he fails to comply with the decision or repeats offenses against the profession.

This decision comes following the appearance of sports journalist and analyst Sami Issa on Iraqi satellite channels, where he made controversial statements.

The Iraqi Sports Press Union said in a statement: “The Ethics Committee, formed by the Iraqi Sports Press Union and endorsed by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, monitors the professional performance of members during their appearances on satellite channels or social media, expressing opinions on various sports issues in Iraq. We believe in the role of the sports journalist in analyzing events and providing sound professional opinions to resolve crises, reflecting a positive image of the profession. At the same time, we support constructive criticism aimed at the public interest, away from personalization and insults to individuals and sports institutions.”

It added, “The committee has followed the recent controversial statements of Sami Issa, a member of the General Assembly of the Sports Press Union, which do not align with constructive criticism or professional language. Despite continuous warnings, listening sessions, and professional advice, and despite his previous commitments to the committee, unfortunately, he did not adhere to the professional ethics document. Therefore, the committee decided to suspend his membership from the General Assembly of the Sports Press Union for a full year from the date of the decision’s publication, and recommended to the Journalists Syndicate to freeze his membership if he fails to comply or repeats offenses against the profession.”