Today a decision will be made about three Iraqi women, Vassan Talib, Zeynep Fadhil and Lika Muhammad that were sentenced to death penalty on the basis of different reasons. We state that clash/war atmospheres harm women at most and women are subjected to violations of rights, physical/sexual violence much more under these circumstances. Actually, we know that basis of these three different incidents is the clash atmosphere in Iraq.
As women members of IHD (Human Rights Association), we call Iraqi authorities and hope that changing decisions of death penalty, which made through unlawful/unfair trial, and protecting their right of life both in prisons and outside of prisons and not to make them victim of clash period. However; we state that as long as chaos and invasion will continue, we will witness new deaths and lose something from us because of these deaths.
In this period, on which we are preparing to celebrate 8th March World Women’s Day, as women members of IHD we will continue our attempts also by Iraqi authorities to stop executions, which given without considering principal of fair trial, of Talib, Fadhil and Muhammad that are, indeed, victims but became accused persons. We know that it will be managed via collaborating through encouragement that they get from their heart.
Lastly execution of Nazenin, who was sentenced to death penalty since she killed a man that raped her, was stopped via a campaign. Another Nazenin, whose origin is also Iranian and became the most beautiful women in Canada in 2003, started the campaign and we also took part in. The decision of death penalty was reversed in the Higher Court and Nazenin was released. We know that we will stop the executions also in this incident. We remind that sacredness and inviolability of right of life is for everyone under any circumstances.
We wish for a life, in which there will not be any murder and violence against women…
On behalf of Women’s Rights Commission
Lawyer Reyhan YALÇINDAĞ