Yanar Mohammed

Editorial update · 13 May 2026 — On 2 March 2026 Yanar Mohammed (66), co-founder and director of the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), was assassinated outside her home in northern Baghdad. Two armed men on a motorcycle opened fire and she died of her wounds in hospital. As of May 2026 the investigation has stalled, the perpetrators remain unidentified, and rights groups continue to demand accountability. She had built a network of safe houses across Iraqi cities and worked for two decades against domestic violence, forced marriage, trafficking, and "honour" killings.

Background and Work

Yanar Mohammed co-founded the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq in 2003, at a moment when the collapse of state institutions left Iraqi women acutely vulnerable to gender-based violence. She built OWFI into the country's first network of safe houses, operating across several Iraqi cities. The shelters provided protection, legal support, and emergency refuge to hundreds of women fleeing domestic abuse, trafficking, and honour-based violence.

Her advocacy extended beyond direct service provision. She campaigned for legal reform, challenged religious and tribal authorities who sanctioned violence against women, and argued consistently for secular governance and women's equality under the law. Her work drew sustained hostility from conservative political factions, militias, and extremist groups who viewed her feminist and secular positions as threats.

Threats and Restrictions

From 2004 onward, Yanar Mohammed received recurrent death threats. Armed groups, including ISIS during its territorial control of parts of Iraq, targeted her with messages intended to force her to abandon her activism. The threats compelled her at times to limit her public movements and to spend periods outside Iraq for her safety.

Despite the persistent risk, she maintained OWFI's operations and continued to speak publicly on women's rights. The organisation's safe houses remained active, and she remained its public face and director.

The Killing

Yanar Mohammed returned to Baghdad from Canada in the final days of February 2026. On the morning of 2 March 2026, at approximately 9:00, she was standing outside her residence in northern Baghdad when two unidentified gunmen on motorcycles approached and opened fire. She was transported immediately to a hospital, where medical personnel attempted to treat her injuries. She died shortly after arrival.

The timing of the attack—days after her return from abroad—raised immediate concerns among colleagues and international observers that her movements had been surveilled. The perpetrators have not been identified, and no group has claimed responsibility.

Impact and Aftermath

The killing sent a wave of fear through Iraq's women's rights community. OWFI issued a statement confirming the attack and expressing alarm for the safety of its remaining staff. Other members of the organisation received threats in the days following Yanar Mohammed's death.

Her assassination represents the elimination of one of Iraq's most visible feminist voices and a direct attack on the infrastructure of protection she had built for women at risk. The safe houses she established continue to operate, but the loss of her leadership leaves the network and the broader Iraqi women's rights movement profoundly diminished.