Documentary about murdered journalist Nûjiyan Erhan

Kurdish journalist Nûjiyan Erhan was assassinated five years ago in Şengal by a KDP sniper with a bullet to the head. Director Jinda Asmin portrays her life in a documentary that is being shown for the first time in Şengal today.

In Şengal, the premiere of the documentary Nûjiyan by Jinda Asmin is taking place today. The documentary is about the struggle of Kurdish journalist Nûjiyan Erhan, who was shot by a KDP sniper in March 2017. Nûjiyan Erhan was one of the journalists who reported the genocide of the Yazidi community in Şengal to the world public. The film will be shown for the first time today at the Xanesor People's Council, followed by a screening in Şengal on Sunday.

Nûjiyan Erhan was from Urfa in Northern Kurdistan and her real name was Tuba Akyılmaz. She worked for the Kurdish media since 2005 and stayed in Şengal from spring 2015 to document the ISIS genocide and the resistance against it. In the process, she conducted interviews with survivors, especially Yazidi women. She also trained Yazidis for journalistic work.

On March 3, 2017, the "Roj-Peshmerga" force trained by the Turkish state and the KDP invaded the village of Xanesor in Şengal. Trenches were dug around Xanesor and Sinun the night before. Women from Şengal wanted to fill up the trenches again and were attacked. The Şengal Defense Units (YBŞ) sought talks with their counterpart to evaluate the situation and calm the tense situation. Before the meeting was concluded, an advance was launched with thirty Hummers and other armored cars with heavy weapons. Among other things, the force was equipped with weapons and vehicles that European countries had supplied to Southern Kurdistan for the fight against ISIS. Among them were Dingo tanks from Germany.

The YBŞ and Şengal Women's Units (YJŞ) were placed in defensive positions along with the Yazidi security forces, Asayîş. The HPG and YJA Star guerrilla fighters, who were still present in the region at the time, proposed negotiations to avoid fighting. Two HPG fighters placed themselves in front of one of the incoming armored cars to stop the advance. They tried to stop the military vehicle with their hands. Their names were Çekdar Sinan and Orhan Baran, both of whom were killed. Journalist Nûjiyan Erhan was deliberately murdered while capturing these scenes with her camera. She succumbed to her injuries from a gunshot to the head in hospital on March 22. TAJÊ activist Nazê Naif and seven YBŞ members were also killed in the ensuing clashes.