Taher Al-Assaf is an Iraqi journalist and the director of the Al-Awla satellite channel’s office in Najaf Governorate. On 27 May 2025, Al-Assaf posted on his Facebook page an X-ray image with the caption: “A bruise and a fracture in one of my ribs… The price of defending the rights of our people in Al-Haidariya… I will continue to defend the rights of my people in this area… I will remain their loud voice in the face of the authorities.” The post came after riot police had physically assaulted and verbally abused him while he was covering citizen protests in the Al-Haidariya district of Najaf. Al-Assaf had been subjected to similar attacks in previous years due to his journalistic activities. He regularly uses his Facebook page to express his views, highlight citizens’ daily struggles, and expose corruption, and he played an active role in the October 2019 protest movement, assisting wounded demonstrators and advocating for accountability.