A New York-based media rights group is urging the Iraqi government to reverse a ban on journalists from the immediate aftermath of bomb attacks.
The government announced earlier this month that reporters will not be allowed at a bombing site for one hour following an attack.
Reasons given for the ban include protecting reporters from secondary attacks and preserving evidence from attacks.
However, the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Joel Simon, says the restriction appears to be an attempt to limit media coverage of unwelcome news.
In a letter to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Simon says there is no justification for news coverage to be obstructed.
He called on the prime minister to allow the press to carry out its reporting without hindrance.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
