Femicide Sparks Protest Against Domestic Violence In Iraq

Tiba Ali, a 22 year old Iraqi woman, was murdered by her father on January 31st in Diwaniyah, Iraq. The young YouTuber had been living in Turkey by herself, a choice her father did not agree with. After hearing the news about Tiba’s murder, Iraqi women protested in front of the Supreme Judicial Council demanding justice and action against the rise of domestic violence in the country. 

Indeed, the amount of domestic violence against women increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq, where domestic violence is not criminalized. On the contrary, the Iraqi penal code shows tolerance towards domestic violence and ‘honor killings’. Article 41 allows a husband to “punish” his wife and “discipline” his children, and article 409 limits the prison sentence for men who kill their wives or female relatives to a mere three years in cases of adultery.

The United Nations and Amnesty International have expressed fear and concern that femicide and domestic violence will only increase further if Iraqi lawmakers do not make any changes to the law. The Iraqi parliament did discuss a domestic violence bill in 2020 but they have since dropped this discussion.

“Until the Iraqi authorities adopt robust legislation to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, we will inevitably continue to witness horrific murders such as that suffered by Tiba Ali”, states Aya Majzoub, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa. 

ACHRS condemns Iraq’s discriminatory justice system and penal code which accommodates domestic violence and femicide. Furthermore, the center condemns the impunity of the perpetrators and the absence of laws protecting women and girls.

ACHRS urges Iraq to respect women’s right to life, liberty, and safety following article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (1993). The center joins Amnesty International and the United Nations in their call for the removal of articles 41 and 409 from the Iraqi penal code and advocates for the criminalization of domestic violence in Iraq.