Iraqi Youtube star’s murder by her father has sparked protests in Iraq. Activists on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration to demand a law against domestic violence, days after the honor killing of a YouTuber by her father.
The honor killing of a YouTuber has sparked outrage in the country. Taiba al-Ali, 22, was killed by her father on January 31 in the southern province of Diwaniyah, interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan said.
Maan said there had been an attempt to mediate between the young woman and her relatives to resolve a “family dispute”. The father later surrendered to the police and confessed to murdering his daughter.
On Sunday, security forces prevented some 20 activists from demonstrating outside the country’s Supreme Judicial Council, and they gathered instead at a road leading to the building.
Some held placards saying “Stop killing women” and “Taiba’s killer must be held to account”.
Another demonstrator, Lina Ali, said: “We will keep mobilizing because of rising domestic violence and killings of women.”
On the sidelines of the demonstration, human rights activist Hanaa Edwar was received by a magistrate from the Supreme Judicial Council to whom she presented the protesters’ grievances.
While expressing concern over the honor killing of You tuber, the United Nations mission in Iraq in a statement condemned Ali’s “abhorrent killing” and called on the Baghdad government to enact “a law that explicitly criminalizes gender-based violence”.
Ali had lived in Turkey since 2017 and was visiting Iraq when she was killed, a security official in Diwaniyah said.
In Turkey, she had gained a following on YouTube, posting videos of her daily life in which her fiance often appeared.
Recordings have been shared on social media by a friend of Ali, and picked up by activists, reportedly of conversations with the father, angry because she was living in Turkey.
In the recordings, Youtube star murdered by father also accuses her brother of sexual assault. However, the authenticity of the voice recordings has yet to be verified.
