ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Korek Telecom on Wednesday slammed Iraqi authorities’ decision to shut down its internet services as an “unprecedented” and “blatant violation of the law,” claiming that the move reflects “political pressure” aimed at eliminating the company.

Iraq’s communications and media commission (CMC) on Tuesday said it had decided to immediately shut down Korek Telecom’s internet services, in a “punitive action” against the carrier over its failure to pay its debts.

In a statement on Wednesday, Korek said that shutting down the internet services of millions of users is a violation of the law and the company’s license agreement with CMC, which it claimed remains valid until now.

“Over the past period, our company has been subjected to a media smear campaign aimed at distorting our reputation and falsely accusing us of non-payment, despite our full compliance with the law and our agreement to a financial settlement that has no legal basis,” read the statement.

The CMC’s decision on Tuesday comes despite its announcement in September 2024 that they have reached a settlement over Korek’s unpaid financial obligations and debts.

Korek claimed that the CMC has reversed its stance and created obstacles for the settlement, “in a move that reflects political pressure aimed at eliminating our company in favor of other entities at the cost of citizens.”

The carrier therefore called on the Iraqi judiciary, integrity commission, human rights organizations, and the UN to “intervene urgently and put an end to these unjust measures, which threaten the future of telecommunications in Iraq and violate the rights of millions of Iraqis.”

In November 2023, Iraq blocked all incoming and outgoing communications between Korek and other carriers over Korek’s failure to pay its financial obligations.