Hammurabi Human Rights Organization issued a strongly worded statement condemning the assassination of feminist activist and head of Organization of Women’s Freedom, Yanar Ahmed, who was killed on Monday, 2 March 2026, in front of her home in Baghdad. The organization described the incident as a deliberate targeting of one of Iraq’s most prominent defenders of human rights and women’s rights.
In its statement, the organization stressed that the crime constitutes a flagrant assault on the values of citizenship and democracy, and a dangerous undermining of the work of civil society organizations that play a fundamental role in safeguarding rights and public freedoms. It further emphasized that the recurring killings of women raise critical questions about the culture of violence and impunity, as well as about the extent of state institutions’ commitment to protecting activists who volunteer their efforts to promote social peace and uphold human dignity.
The organization also expressed its solidarity with the Minister of Interior in his efforts to form a professional investigative team to uncover the circumstances of the crime. It called upon the Iraqi authorities, particularly the judiciary, to ensure justice and impose the strictest deterrent penalties against the perpetrators, thereby reinforcing confidence in the rule of law and protecting human rights defenders from further targeting.
Below is the full text of the statement:
