Young woman fatally shot in her home

ERBIL — A young woman was tragically shot and killed early Wednesday while asleep in her home in Erbil’s Daretu district, in a violent incident involving several unidentified assailants.

Local authorities are currently investigating the murder, which occurred at dawn when the assailants entered the residence of the victim, Fairuz Azad, and used a handgun. The incident follows a previous assault on Azad in November last year, where she suffered severe injuries after being pushed from the fifth floor of an apartment building in the Iskan district of Erbil, allegedly by two individuals known on TikTok. She endured a broken leg, a cracked pelvis, and spinal fractures, with the case reportedly settled through tribal mediation.

During her recovery, Azad reported that she had been raped by one of the men in the apartment but had managed to fend off another’s attempt to assault her, which ultimately led to her being thrown off the building.

Shahin Qasab, the stepfather and caretaker of the deceased, expressed his devastation to 964media, stating, “It was just after her brother went to work, between 8:05 and 8:10 a.m., that her biological father, uncle, cousin, and brother entered and fatally shot her while she was asleep. We know these family members were involved, and we are not sure if there were other people with them.”

The victim’s body has recently been returned to her family home in Daretu from the forensic department. Her mother has pledged to provide further details to the press in due course.

Qasab has formally reported the crime to the police and is awaiting justice, stating, “We have registered our complaint, and now we wait for justice,” reflecting the shock and pain of the community.

The murder appears to be a case of so-called honor killing. The Kurdistan Region has grappled with significant rates of such murders over the years, with figures showing over 200 killed between 2017 and 2019, and 24 homicides reported in the first half of 2022.

The Kurdistan Parliament has amended its laws to recognize “honor killings” as homicide and serve the maximum punishment allowed under the law for such crimes. However, the Iraqi penal code offers reduced sentences for violent acts, including murder, for “honorable motives.”

Local women’s rights activists and international human rights organizations have criticized the Kurdish authorities’ lax implementation of laws regarding gender-based violence, as such cases are typically settled outside courts through tribal mediation.