Iraqi Women Lead Protests After Young Doctor’s Death Ruled a Suicide

Editor’s note: This article contains graphic descriptions of violence that some readers may find disturbing.

The death of a young psychiatrist in Basra, Iraq has ignited public fury after a court ruled the case a suicide despite forensic evidence and widespread claims of murder.

Dr. Ban Ziyad Tariq, 34, was found dead in her home in central Basra on August 4. The Basra Court of Appeal on Monday concluded that she had taken her own life, citing forensic reports, personal notes, security footage, and a history of treatment for depression. The Supreme Judicial Council stated the investigation was now closed.

But leaked images and accounts from colleagues and forensic specialists told a different story. Ban’s arms were severed, her neck bore deep wounds, and her face had been disfigured. Social media users circulated graphic photos, sparking outrage and allegations of a judicial cover-up.

Demonstrations broke out in Basra and Baghdad, where protesters carried placards reading: “I did not commit suicide, I need justice.” Online, Iraqis launched campaigns under the hashtag #JusticeForBan, with TikTok and X users demanding accountability and reforms to protect women.

The case has tapped into a broader anger the country over so-called “honor crimes,” in which women are killed — often by male family members — for behavior deemed shameful and their deaths are often reported as suicides.

“Her brother, Mohammed Ziyad, was present in the house at the time, and she was killed brutally,” Linda Osman, 20, an Iraqi law student who runs an Instagram page dedicated to women’s rights in the Middle East, told More to Her Story. “People accuse her brother because he has a violent nature. When he was investigated, he deleted his Instagram posts, which included disturbing images and captions about hanging, cutting off hands, and other content resembling the deep web. He deleted them all.”

Osman and others also suspect political interference. “The Governor of Basra said that she committed suicide, and politicians repeated that line. But Dr. Ban was killed in the most horrific way. There were signs of hanging around her neck, bruises and marks on her face. She had been raped with a sharp surgical scalpel, her genital organs were cut, and her internal organs stuffed with cotton. But they still called it a suicide.”

The climate for women is further underscored by statements inside parliament. MP Mustafa Sand recently declared: “Women are the cause of Iraq’s problems. Women’s personal problems — every time Iraq is attacked, its flag is raised, our women bring us shame.”

A UK Home Office report on Iraq notes that gender-based violence is “deeply ingrained,” with so-called “honor” crimes often linked to refusing arranged marriages, premarital relationships, or online behavior.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered a follow-up investigation earlier this month, stressing that the process must be free from political exploitation. His office has not responded to public criticism of the court’s ruling.

Beyond her medical work, Ban was a visible public figure. She had more than 300,000 TikTok followers, where she posted educational videos on mental health. Friends and colleagues described her as a dedicated psychiatrist committed to helping others manage trauma and depression.

Her death follows the killing of another Basra doctor, Dr. Sarah Talib al-Aboudah, earlier this year. Unverified claims on social media suggested the two cases were linked, though the Basra Health Directorate dismissed these reports as false.

For many, Ban’s death represents a justice system that women feel does not protect them.

“This is not only about Dr. Ban. If her case remains closed under the label of suicide, many more young women could face the same fate — their deaths dismissed, their voices silenced, and their cases buried without justice,” a 21-year-old Iraqi woman told More to Her Story on the condition of anonymity. “We desperately need the world’s support to reopen her case and ensure that the truth is revealed. We need to protect the lives and rights of many other innocent women in Iraq. Please help us stop this cycle of injustice.”