More than 300 women demand accountability over murder of Nakhan Akarsal

This came during a statement made by the Jineology Academy and women's organizations in NE Syria in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees building in the city of Qamishlo.

The statement began by referring to the assassination of the researcher, academic, and member of the Jineology Research Center, Nakhan Akarsal, in front of her house on October 4 (2022) in the city of Sulaymaniyah in southern Kurdistan.

The statement stated that, despite the demands of the concerned authorities, the killer of the martyr Nakhan has not yet been tried, and “political and legal measures have not been taken to limit these killings.”

The statement added: “ the killer was arrested while escaping to Hawler,” adding: “According to the information obtained by the media, the killer called Ismail Bakr is a Turkish citizen.”

The Justice for Nakhan Akarsal platform revealed in its statement that the Turkish ambassador to Iraq, Ali Reda, spoke about the killer was tasked by Turkish intelligence services (MIT).

The statement noted that "so far, legal and political measures have not been taken to hold the killer accountable, neither by the regional government nor by the Iraqi government."

The platform talked about the leadership of the martyr Nakhan Akarsal in many academic projects related to women’s science, saying: “She brought together many women and groups of society for a free, dignified, and shared life. She also built her personality on three foundations, which are “Woman, Life, and Freedom.”

It added: "For forty years, the Turkish state has been targeting Kurdish women in ways and methods far from the law, and the killing of Nakhan Akarsal was a link in this chain during the rule of Erdogan's party, which illegally targets Kurdish women and leaders, especially leaders of the Kurdistan liberation movement."

The platform indicated that the United Nations claimed in its report that “many civilian women were killed by the Turkish government, under the pretext of carrying out campaigns against "terrorism", and at the same time called on "the Turkish state to punish and hold accountable those who commit these crimes."

The statement also noted “In order to hold these killers accountable, an impartial committee must be activated with the help of international institutions to establish a mechanism to investigate these crimes and hold the perpetrator accountable,” stating that “all of these demands have not been implemented so far.”

It pointed out that the killing and extermination of Kurdish women has increased suspiciously since 2022, revealing that 53 people, including women, were martyred between December and June of this year, as a result of the attacks of the Turkish occupation state on NE Syria.

The statement also spoke about the Turkish state's targeting of the leaders of the Kurdistan Liberation Movement in France, "the first and second Paris massacres (2013-2022), as the perpetrators of the two massacres have not yet been held accountable."

The statement expressed confidence that holding the killers and those behind them accountable will serve as a deterrent to prevent such crimes from being committed again, and will be an important step to reduce these crimes.

It made the point clear that: " 312 women from all over the world, signed a letter calling on the United Nations and all relevant institutions to intervene to stop the killing of women and hold murderers and criminals accountable."

The statement concluded with the delivery of the message addressed to the three parties: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, European Commission Secretary Kales Markel, and Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani to those concerned at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the city of Qamishlo.

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ANHA