© AFP
Iraqi social media influencer Om Fahad has been shot outside her home in Baghdad, local media report.
Fahad, whose real name is Ghufran Sawadi and has tens of thousands of followers on Tiktok, was shot in the eastern neighborhood of Zayne on Friday evening. Iraq’s Interior Ministry confirmed in a statement that a “woman known from social networking sites” had been killed by “unknown assailants.” Fahad, whose real name is Ghufran Sawadi, was reportedly shot in her car by a person with a gun who was riding a motorcycle.
An Iraqi security source told the AFP news agency that the attacker pretended to be delivering food. The American news agency Al Hurra meanwhile reported that another woman was also injured in the attack.
Convicted
Last year, Fahad was sentenced to six months in prison for sharing videos that the court said undermined “modesty and public morality.” The influencer became known for her videos on Tiktok in which she can be seen dancing to pop music in tight-fitting clothing.
Her conviction followed the launch of a government commission to monitor social media sites for content it considers offensive and punish those responsible.
The independent Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said at the time: “The detention and conviction by Iraqi authorities of several social media content creators on vague charges that do not justify the restriction of natural rights is extremely worrying.”
More recently, a feud between Fahad and fellow influencer Dalia Naeem has also escalated. Naeem – known as “Iraqi Barbie” for her many plastic surgery procedures – had threatened to expose Fahad’s alleged relationship with senior Iraqi officials, according to media reports.