Iraqi 'PanamaPapers journalist' sacked for helping expose government corruption

An Iraqi journalist who participated in the "Panama Papers" investigations has been sacked from his position in an Iraq-based online newspaper after disclosing details from the leaks implicating senior Iraqi officials in corruption scandals.

Montadhar Naser was one of nine Arab journalists participating within the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) working in secret for over a year on the Panama Papers leaks.

Naser took to social media to share news of his sacking from al-Aalem al-Jadeed daily, which falls under a government holding company known as the Iraqi Media Network.

"I expected management at the Iraqi Media Network to be proud of this unique achievement but their response was to terminate my services for the network, where I have been for over a year," Naser said.

The Journalistic Freedoms Observatory in Iraq condemned Naser's sacking following his participation in the Panama Papers investigations and called for his immediate reinstatement.

"The Iraqi government must investigate the officials who were named in the Panama leak and are accused of corruption and bribery instead of putting restrictions on the journalists who took part in the revelations," The Observatory said in a statement.

The leaking of millions of documents from the Panama-based legal firm Mossack Fonseca, in what are now known as the "Panama Papers" came at a period of heightened tension in the Iraqi capital and across the country concerning corruption and cronyism among government officials.

Major protests in Baghdad and in other cities have called for reforms to the political system following long-standing accusations of corruption among the leading political parties and cabinet ministers.