Gunmen Assassinate Iraqi Feminist Leader Yanar Mohammed in Baghdad

On 2 March 2026, Yanar Mohammed, a prominent Iraqi feminist and president of the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), was shot inside her residence in northern Baghdad by two armed men on a motorcycle and later died of her wounds.

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IFEX

The IFEX statement describes the attack as occurring "At approximately 9:00 a.m. on 2 March 2026, two armed men who were riding a motorcycle, opened fire on Yanar Mohammed inside her residence in northern Baghdad," notes that she was "Seriously injured, Yanar Mohammed was transferred to hospital, where she succumbed to her wounds," and says the killing "constitutes a grave attack against human rights defenders and against the struggle for women’s rights in Iraq."

At the time the statement was published, "no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the identities of those responsible, as well as the motives behind the killing, remain unknown."

The statement frames Mohammed as a long-standing, internationally recognised women’s rights defender who co-founded OWFI after 2003 and spent over two decades defending women from violence.

IFEX records that "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," and that "For over two decades, she worked to protect women facing domestic abuse, forced marriage, trafficking, and so-called ‘honour’ killings."

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IFEX

The piece also highlights her recent focus: "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."

Rights groups and the statement’s signatories demand an independent, impartial and transparent investigation, accountability, and immediate protection measures for women human rights defenders.

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IFEX

The IFEX text asserts that "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," and reiterates 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)."

It further calls for authorities to "adopt effective protection measures for human rights defenders, in particular those working on women’s rights, who face heightened risks."

The statement situates the assassination within a broader pattern of threats, impunity and dangerous conditions for women defenders in Iraq and urges accountability for online and offline incitement.

IFEX warns that "Impunity for such incitement creates a dangerous environment that facilitates the targeting of human rights defenders," and explicitly asks authorities to "investigate all forms of incitement that preceded this crime," including hate speech spread "through media outlets and social media platforms."

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IFEX

The statement concludes that "This killing sends a deeply alarming signal to women human rights defenders across Iraq" and lists multiple international and Iraqi organisations as signatories demanding action.