"Unusual killings" plague Kurdistan
Shafaq News/ Kurdistan’s Interior Minister, Rebar Ahmed,voiced concern on Thursday over a surge in violent incidents across the Region.
Speaking at a press conference following a meeting with theKurdistan High Council of Women, Ahmed described the rise in violence asalarming, citing "unusual and unwelcome killings." While emphasizingKurdistan’s historically peaceful nature, he attributed the recent escalationto external cultural influences blending with local traditions.
“Kurdistan’s people are peaceful by nature, but someexternal influences have contributed to the rise in violence,” he said.
While comprehensive statistics on gender-based violenceremain unavailable, government figures indicate at least 30 women were killedin 2023 and 44 in 2022. NGO workers told Amnesty International Law that theactual numbers are likely much higher. In 2022, the DCVAW recorded 15,896domestic violence complaints, but official data for 2023 and 2024 has yet to bereleased.
A report by the Kurdistan Men's Union (KMU) underscores thegrowing crisis, documenting 342 cases of violence since the beginning of 2024,including 31 suicides and 11 murders linked to family disputes. In Februaryalone, 61 complaints were filed, alongside three suicides and four murders.
The mounting violence has sparked public outcry. On Tuesday,dozens of women gathered outside Erbil Citadel, demanding justice for victimsand accountability for perpetrators.
Amnesty International, in a report published last year,criticized authorities in the Kurdistan Region for failing to hold perpetratorsof domestic violence accountable, citing cases of murder, rape, beatings, andburning. The organization also condemned restrictions imposed on survivorsseeking protection in shelters.
