On Sunday, the Iraqi Ministry of Communications announced that it had blocked the Telegram messaging application for what it described as reasons related to “national security,” according to a statement issued on the ministry’s official website.

And the ministry stated, in its statement, that “the company that runs Telegram did not respond to repeated requests by state institutions to close the platforms that leak the data of official institutions and the personal data of citizens.”

The statement added that the ministry “affirms its respect for citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and communication, without prejudice to the security of the state and its institutions, and expresses its confidence in citizens’ understanding of this measure.”