The assassination of woman human rights defender Yanar Mohammed, a prominent Iraqi feminist and President of the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), on 02 March 2026 in Baghdad, constitutes a grave attack against human rights defenders and against the struggle for women’s rights in Iraq. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the international, regional and Iraqi signatory organisations express their profound outrage and strongly condemn this killing.
Paris, Geneva, Baghdad, 5 March 2026. At approximately 9:00 a.m. on 02 March 2026, two armed men who were riding a motorcycle, opened fire on Yanar Mohammed inside her residence in northern Baghdad. Seriously injured, Yanar Mohammed was transferred to hospital, where she succumbed to her wounds.
At the time of publication of this statement, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the identities of those responsible, as well as the motives behind the killing, remain unknown. It is essential that an independent and thorough investigation should be established to examine that assassination which is linked to her human rights activism, as reported by reliable local sources.
Yanar Mohammed was an internationally-recognised human rights defender. She co-founded OWFI in 2003, following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, with the aim of promoting women’s rights and combating gender-based violence. For over two decades, she worked to protect women facing domestic abuse, forced marriage, trafficking, and so-called “honour” killings. Under her leadership, OWFI established a network of safe houses across numerous Iraqi cities, providing protection and support to hundreds of women at risk.
Yanar Mohammed publicly defended gender equality, and universal human rights. She consistently denounced the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, the impunity of armed groups, and systemic discrimination against women and minorities. In 2016, she was awarded the Norwegian Rafto Prize for Human Rights in recognition of her courageous commitment.
She carried out her activism in a highly-dangerous environment. She had been subjected to repeated death threats and, at times, was forced to restrict her movements. In 2020, she and OWFI were targeted by judicial proceedings initiated by the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, notably in relation to the organisation’s operation of shelters for women fleeing violence. These proceedings, widely considered to lack legal basis, took place in a broader context of judicial pressure against organisations defending women’s rights.
In her recent activities, Yanar Mohammed focused on following up cases of Yazidi women and other survivors of abuses linked to ISIS elements in Iraq, calling for investigations into these violations and accountability for those responsible.
The assassination of Yanar Mohammed occurs within a broader pattern of attacks, abductions, and killings targeting activists, journalists, and human rights defenders in Iraq in recent years. This context reflects persistent shortcomings in the protection of human rights defenders and in combating impunity for such crimes.
Our organisations recall that Iraq, as a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), has an obligation to protect the right to life and to take all necessary measures to prevent, investigate, and punish violations of this right (Article 6). Also, in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, authorities have a duty to ensure a safe and enabling environment for those engaged in the promotion and protection of human rights.
Our organisations call on the Iraqi authorities to immediately conduct an independent, impartial and transparent investigation to identify the perpetrators and those who may have ordered this assassination, and to bring them to justice in accordance with international standards. The authorities must also adopt effective protection measures for human rights defenders, in particular those working on women’s rights, who face heightened risks.
The undersigned organisations also call on the Iraqi authorities to investigate all forms of incitement that preceded this crime, particularly the content disseminated through media outlets and social media platforms that included hate speech and direct or indirect incitement against Yanar Mohammed, as well as against women human rights defenders and other women’s activists. Impunity for such incitement creates a dangerous environment that facilitates the targeting of human rights defenders. We call for accountability for these crimes committed online or beyond.
This killing sends a deeply alarming signal to women human rights defenders across Iraq. Our organisations urge the Iraqi authorities to take immediate and concrete measures to guarantee, in all circumstances, that human rights defenders, in particularly those who defend women rights, can carry out their work without fear of violence or reprisals.
