30-year-old woman murdered in Zakho
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A 30-year old woman was murdered by her cousin on Thursday in a so-called "honor killing".
The Zakho police said the woman's cousin shot her several times with a Kalashnikov rifle over a social problem.
The judge has ordered the man's arrest. However, the suspect didn't surrender himself to the police and has fled to an unknown location.
Since the beginning of 2022 alone, more than ten women have lost their lives in various circumstances in the Kurdistan Region. The most common cause of death has been "honor killings".
Read More: US shares Kurdistan leaders' concerns about rise in 'honor killings'
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has repeatedly stressed that there is no honor in honor killings. He has also expressed his full support for the judiciary to impose the harshest punishments against perpetrators of this crime.
Read More: 'There is no honor in honor killing, this scourge must end': PM Barzani
Even though the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and international and local organizations have been working to raise awareness in the Kurdistan Region, honor killings persist in alarming numbers.
In 2004, the KRG passed a law denying reduced sentences for perpetrators of so-called "honor" crimes. The KRG has also suspended several Iraqi laws that discriminate against women.