Kurdish activists, journalist and writer Nagihan Akarsel was assassinated in front of her house in the Sulaymaniyah city of southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) on October 4.
Nagîhan Akarsel, a female activist, academic and a member of the Jineology Research Centre, lost her life on October 4 at 09:30 as a result of an armed attack in front of her house in the Bakhtiari district of Sulaymaniyah.
The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released a statement condemning the assassination of Akarsel, saying, “A powerful feminist Iraqi voice has been silenced. RSF strongly condemns the murder of Kurdish feminist journalist and writer Nagihan Akarsel, while Kurdish women are fighting for women's liberation."
"This murder is the fifth attack targeting Iraqi-Kurdish figures and activists critical of the Kurdish government in one year,” RSF added.
With the Turkish state escalating its invasion attacks on southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq), targeted attacks have become more common than ever before. Along with the frequent drone attacks, armed attacks are also carried out in public.
Authorities in Hewler (Erbil) and Sulaymaniyah have not introduced any preventive measures against further assassinations as the murderers have remained unpunished.
There have been at least five assassination attacks in Sulaymaniyah in a year alone.
On October 4, Nagihan Akarsel, a female activist and academician, editor of Jineology magazine and member of the Jineology Research Centre, was shot dead in Sulaymaniyah. The attack took place in front of Akarsel's house at 10:00 local time.
On August 28, Suheyl Xurid Eziz (Mamoste Şemal), a member of the Executive Council of the Azadi Movement, was killed as a result of an armed attack.
On May 17, Zeki Çelebi, a patriot from North Kurdistan, was attacked in the Bextiari neighbourhood. Celebi, who was seriously injured in the attack, died the next day, on May 18. His killers haven't been found yet.
On September 17, 2021, Yasin Bulut (Şukri Serhed), a member of the PKK Martyrs' Families Committee, was assassinated in Sulaymaniyah.
On September 16, 2021, a citizen from North Kurdistan, named Ferhad Barış Kondu, was attacked in Sulaymaniyah. He survived the attack with serious injuries.
