WHRDIC condemns execution of Samira Saleh Al-Naimi

The Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition condemns the execution of lawyer and woman human rights defender Samira Saleh Al-Naimi in the city of Al Mosul, Iraq by the Islamic State’s (ISIS) militia.

According to Front Line Defenders, the execution took place after a ‘Sharia Court’ sentenced Samira Saleh Al-Naimi to public execution for allegedly abandoning Islam. Her abduction and execution is allegedly connected to a social media post, in which she criticised the destruction carried by ISIS in Mosul.

Front Line Defenders said that Samira Saleh Al-Naimi was reportedly kidnapped earlier from her home and was taken to an undisclosed location. She was tortured for five days before masked armed men executed her in a public square in the heart of Mosul city.

Samira Saleh Al-Naimi is a prominent lawyer and woman human rights defender who is famous for her work defending detainees and supporting disadvantaged families in Mosul.

The WHRDIC joins in the Gulf Centre for Human Rights urging the UN and relevant international institutions to:

1. Carry out an immediate, impartial and thorough investigation into the execution of Samira Saleh Al-Naimi and other crimes committed by ISIS with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in line with local laws and international standards;
2. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders and journalists in Iraq are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free from all restrictions including judicial harassment.

To understand Isis from a Women’s Rights perspective, read WHRDIC member organisation Madre’s analysis of Isis and what it will mean for women human rights defenders.