ALBAWABA - Hadeel Khaled Abdul Rasheed, popularly known as "Om Al-Lul," is a controversial Iraqi influencer who has gained attention again when a judge reduced her life sentence to six years. Her conviction on allegations of international drug trafficking preceded the ruling.
Om Al-Lul, a well-known personality on social media and TikTok, was first taken into custody in May on charges of producing offensive material. After the proceedings progressed to drug trafficking charges, the Rusafa Criminal Court sentenced him to life in prison.
"The Federal Court of Cassation overturned the life sentence and ordered a retrial," her attorney Tariq Al-Shar'a said in an announcement of the new event. The court sentenced him to six years in prison after the fresh trial. Al-Shar'a declared the updated ruling to be "unjust" and promised to take the case all the way to the Court of Cassation.
Prior to her drug-related allegations, Om Al-Lul had already been in legal problems in April after being found guilty of creating and sharing pornographic and immoral recordings and was sentenced to four months in prison under Article 403 of the Iraqi Penal Code.
Om Al-Lul, who is well-known for her extensive social media presence, became well-known on TikTok after her dancing videos amassed a sizable fan base. Her fame spread to positions as an influencer and blogger, where she worked with companies to create promotional content. However, Iraq's Content Review Committee took notice of several of her films after they were reported for breaking content regulations.
The case brings to light current discussions in Iraq about public decency, social media, and the legal ramifications for influencers who work in contentious areas. Discussions over how to strike a balance between law enforcement and free speech have been rekindled by Om Al-Lul's sentence reduction.
