Samira Saleh Ali al-Naimi
Samira Salih al-Nuaimi (also Samira Saleh Ali al-Naimi, Sameera Salih Ali al-Nuaimy, or سميرة صالح النعيمي in Arabic) (1963 – 22 September 2014)[1] was an Iraqi lawyer and human rights activist.
She had criticized Islamic State on Twitter because they destroyed mosques, churches, and shrines.[2] She was then kidnapped by men in masks. She was tortured for five days and then was killed by Islamic State (ISIS or Daish).[3]
The United Nations spoke out strongly against the killing.[4]
Work
[change | change source]Samiraa al-Nuaimi was a lawyer. According to the Gulf Centre For Human Rights, she worked on detainee rights and poverty. [5] She worked as a volunteer for women's rights. [6] She was one of the leading activists in Iraq, especially in the defense of people in jail, and in helping families with little money. [7]
Samira lived in the northeastern part of Mosul with her husband and three children. [8] On September 17, 2014, when she was at home with her husband and children, the ISIL group took Samira from her home. They said she was guilty of apotasy under Sharia law. They tortured her for 5 days. Then they killed her. [9] Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the United Nations human rights commissioner, said her familiy was not permitted to give her a funeral. [10]
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq said she was arrested because of her Facebook messages. She posted criticism of ISIL's destruction of religious places in Mosul. After her death, the Facebook page was removed. [8]
International reaction
[change | change source]The United States Department of State condemned Samira's murder. They said she was brave because she helped people when she was in danger. [11]
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG), Mr. Nickolay Mladenov, also spoke strongly against the killing of al-Nuaimi. He said it was a "sickening crime committed against the people of Iraq". [9] United Nations Commissioner Prince Zeid bin Raad, from the High Commissioner office in Geneva and New York, said Samira's death was terrible. He said she had courage because she defended the human rights of others. [6]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Eleftheriou-Smith, Loulla-Mae (25 September 2014). "Isis publicly executes leading lawyer and human rights activist in Iraq". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ↑ ISIS kills Iraqi woman activist in Mosul: Al Arabiya News Retrieved 4 July 2015
- ↑ Los Angeles Times (25 September 2014). "Islamic State killed human rights lawyer in Iraq, U.N. says". latimes.com. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ↑ "UN Envoy Condemns Public Execution of Human Rights Lawyer, Ms. Sameera Al-Nuaimy [EN/AR]". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ↑ "Isis publicly executes leading lawyer and human rights activist in Iraq". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "إدانة أممية لجريمة إعدام العراقية سميرة النعيمي". elaph.com. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ↑ http://www.tunisien.tn/السياسة/داعش-تعدم-الحقوقية-العراقية-سميرة-صال
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Islamic State Militants Execute Female Iraqi Human Rights Activist". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "UN Envoy Condemns Public Execution of Human Rights Lawyer, Ms. Sameera Al-Nuaimy [EN/AR]". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ↑ Women’s Rights Activist Executed by ISIS in Iraq: New York Times by Nick Cumming-Bruce Retrieved 4 July 2015
- ↑ "State Dept. on ISIL's Murder of Iraqi Human Rights Lawyer". state.gov. Retrieved 4 July 2015.