The Rafto Foundation in Deep Mourning Following the Assassination of Yanar Mohammed

We are deeply shocked by this brutal attack on one of the most courageous human rights defenders of our time. The assassination represents not only an attack on Yanar Mohammed as a person, but also on the fundamental values she dedicated her life to defending: women’s freedom, democracy, and universal human rights.

– Her courage, integrity, and uncompromising struggle for equality have inspired human rights defenders around the world, says Jostein Hole Kobbeltvedt, Executive Director of the Rafto Foundation.

In 2016, Yanar Mohammed was awarded the Rafto Prize for her tireless work for women’s rights in Iraq under extremely challenging conditions.

The Rafto Foundation extends its deepest condolences to her family, colleagues, and all those who were close to her. Her legacy will live on through the work she began and the lives she transformed.

The Rafto Foundation is working to clarify all the details surrounding the assassination of Mohammed.