Final forensic report backs suicide ruling in case of Basra psychiatrist Ban Ziyad Tariq

BASRA — Iraq’s forensic medicine department has issued its final conclusions in the case of psychiatrist Ban Ziyad Tariq, supporting the judiciary’s ruling that her death was suicide.

The report described “incised wounds on both wrists” that caused severe bleeding, adding that the injuries showed “no evidence of external assault or defensive struggle.” Examiners also cited the absence of strangulation marks, poisoning, or forced entry.

According to the findings, Tariq’s body showed “deep self-inflicted cuts that led to rapid blood loss,” along with complications linked to drug interactions. The report concluded these factors “were sufficient to cause death.”

Investigators highlighted messages recovered from her phone in which she wrote: “I am tired, I want to rest, I want to go.”

The medical team said her injuries were consistent with suicide and aligned with toxicology results. “The incident represents self-harm leading to death, not homicide,” the report stated.

Tariq, a psychiatrist in her thirties, was found dead at her home in Basra on Aug. 4, 2025. The judiciary previously ruled that she had suffered from chronic depression and was receiving psychiatric medication, noting that she had sought treatment in Baghdad and Basra.

The ruling was delivered against a backdrop of nationwide protests and questions from lawmakers and activists who argued she had been killed and that the case was being covered up. Demonstrators in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Erbil, Diyala and Basra demanded an independent investigation after pointing to bruises, signs of strangulation, and disabled security cameras.

On Aug. 18, the judiciary dismissed those claims, saying “the case does not represent a criminal act of intentional killing but rather suicide.” The new forensic report echoed that conclusion, reinforcing the court’s findings and pushing back against public doubts.