Iraq: Makeup artist and transgender woman Doski Azad murdered by her brother in a transphobic 'honor killing'

Doski Azad
Born: 1999
Shot dead: 29/30 January 2022
Location: Duhok (Kurdistan Region of Iraq)
Origin: Iraq
Children: none
Perpetrator: her brother Chakdar

Our story on Iraqi Kurdish 23-year-old transgender woman Doski Azad is based on Insider's investigative work and goes like this: Doski Azad ran into problems with her family after she came out of the closet as a transgender woman years ago. Some conservative family members did not accept this and threatened to kill her on several occasions.

Doski Azad fled her parental home and built a new existence in Duhok in the Kurdish region of Iraq. She worked as a make-up artist in a local salon and had many friends. Even years after her move, her brother and cousin continued to threaten her with death.

On Monday, January 31, 2022, Doski Azad's lifeless body was found in a shallow ditch near Duhok. Her hands were tied and, according to local police, she had been hit by bullets in her head and chest one or two days before she was found.

The only suspect for this brutal liquidation is her brother, who has lived in Germany for the last eight years. Chakdar is believed to have flown to Iraq for the sole purpose of killing his sister and fled Iraq quickly after the murder.

Agents suspect he is hiding in Germany, Belgium or Turkey. Kurdish authorities have reportedly contacted Interpol to track down and arrest this murder suspect. We would welcome any leads.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.