LGBTQ+ Kurds fear for their lives after trans woman murdered in honour killing | Xtra Magazine

“In Kurdistan-Iraq it is still very risky for anyone to identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community,” Delman Kareem, a spokesperson for the Germany-based Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights, tells Xtra in an emailed statement. “The lack of information, cultural and religious misconceptions, as well as a legal system that does very little to recognize these issues contribute to this culture of hate and the continuation of so-called ‘honor’ killings.”

The Jiyan Foundation, which endeavours to support survivors of human rights abuses, led a joint statement with more than 20 advocacy groups condemning Azad’s murder and calling for justice.

“So-called ‘honor killings’ are barbaric hate crimes that have no place in a civilized society,” wrote the organization’s chairman and founder, Salah Ahmad, in the Feb. 9 statement. “Jiyan Foundation, together with like-minded organizations across the region urge the Kurdistan Regional Government and Iraqi authorities to end the ‘honor killing’ tradition by prioritizing investigations of hate crimes committed against LGBTQ+ individuals.”

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