Kirkuk protesters demand transparency in death of Basra psychiatrist

KIRKUK — Civil society groups, activists, and citizens staged a demonstration Sunday outside the Human Rights Commission office in Kirkuk, expressing solidarity in the case of psychiatrist Ban Ziyad Tariq and calling for transparency in the ongoing investigation into her death.

Participants said they rejected classifying the case as suicide and urged authorities to pursue a professional inquiry. “Our stand today is a condemnation of what happened to Dr. Ban,” said Maha Azzedine Qassab, a forensic specialist. “As a specialist in forensic medicine, I confirm that the case is very clear. The people themselves have begun collecting evidence, and it is obvious this was a crime of murder, not suicide.”

She added: “The wounds on her hands were not vital wounds but non-vital ones, meaning they occurred after death. According to my professional and ethical responsibility, I affirm that Dr. Ban did not commit suicide but was deliberately killed.”

Protester Arwin Baiz told 964media: “As people of Kirkuk, we organized this stand in front of the Human Rights Commission because it is the body we rely on to defend this case. Unfortunately, Dr. Ban is not the first and will not be the last. We see almost daily deliberate killings recorded as suicides.”

He continued: “Just yesterday women were killed in their homes, one of them burned in an oven, yet her case was classified as suicide. Enough underestimating the people’s awareness, and enough covering up crimes against women. Today we demand Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani intervene directly to remove this misleading classification and recognize it as deliberate murder.”

The Kirkuk protest followed a demonstration in Baghdad, where women gathered in Tahrir Square a day earlier to demand accountability and transparency. Protesters there held banners quoting Article 14 of the Iraqi constitution, which guarantees equality before the law, and warned against silence over the case.

Tariq, a psychiatrist in her thirties, was found dead at her home in central Basra on Aug. 4. Local police initially reported the case as a suicide, but colleagues and lawmakers questioned that assessment, pointing to injuries they said were inconsistent with self-harm. Lawmaker Uday al-Awadi cited preliminary forensic findings including signs of strangulation, bruises, deep wounds on the hands, and disabled surveillance cameras. He also alleged that a message in blood was found on a wall and raised concerns about delays in notifying authorities.

The Basra Third Investigative Court said it has launched “expanded legal measures” under the supervision of a specialized judge, recorded statements from witnesses and relatives, and detained one suspect pending further inquiry. It is awaiting a final forensic report to determine the cause of death.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has ordered “close and rapid follow-up” of the investigation, urging that results be announced with “full transparency” and handled free from political exploitation. The parliamentary Human Rights Committee described the case as one that “shocked and saddened” the medical community and called for systemic reforms to better protect women and health workers.