Iraqi Kurdistan Region Seeks to Stop Violence against Women

Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Qubad Talabani wears a shirt with a slogan promoting women's rights.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Qubad Talabani wears a shirt with a slogan promoting women's rights.
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Iraqi Kurdistan Region Seeks to Stop Violence against Women

Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Qubad Talabani wears a shirt with a slogan promoting women's rights.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Qubad Talabani wears a shirt with a slogan promoting women's rights.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Qubad Talabani expressed outrage over continued abuse of women’s rights, stressing that there is no honor in murdering women.

“We will not tolerate or accept violence against women in the name of honor — those responsible will pay a heavy price for their crime,” he vowed.

He made his statement after a woman was hanged to death by her brothers in the district of Kalar, Garmiyan on Friday. The murder drew widespread condemnation and went viral on social media.

Police forces arrested four suspects hours after the discovery of the woman's body. Three of the detainees were the victim’s brothers, who confessed to the murder.

Police said she was killed over a “social issue.”

“Talabani, from the moment he heard about the incident, contacted the Garmiyan administration and asked to personally follow up on the investigation,” Garmiyan administration supervisor Jalal Nuri Abdul Qadir told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The deputy prime minister stressed the need to conduct accurate and transparent investigations.

“Talabani has a dedicated interest in all issues related to women's rights, and he has a clear strategy in this area,” his spokesperson Samir Hawrami told Asharq Al-Awsat. He has also established a special taskforce to follow up on issues related to women’s rights and raise awareness on gender equality.

Hawrami also affirmed that Talabani, after his appointment as deputy prime minister, had made sure to place women's rights and gender equality at the core of his work in government.

He reiterated Talabani’s strong belief in the importance of the role of women in society, and the need to confront the outdated traditions that restrict all women and violate their freedom and rights as a human being.



US Revokes Foreign Terrorist Designation for Syria's HTS

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a Ministerial formation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic, in Damascus, Syria March 29, 2025. (Reuters)
Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a Ministerial formation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic, in Damascus, Syria March 29, 2025. (Reuters)
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US Revokes Foreign Terrorist Designation for Syria's HTS

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a Ministerial formation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic, in Damascus, Syria March 29, 2025. (Reuters)
Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a Ministerial formation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic, in Damascus, Syria March 29, 2025. (Reuters)

President Donald Trump's administration on Monday revoked the foreign terrorist organization designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, as Washington moves to remove US sanctions on Syria to help the country rebuild following years of a civil war.

In December, opposition factions led by HTS ousted Syria's former president Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive. Then-HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa became Syria's president and said he wanted to build an inclusive and democratic Syria.

HTS was previously known as al-Nusra Front when it was al-Qaeda's Syria branch. It broke off ties with al-Qaeda in 2016.

In May, Sharaa met with Trump in Riyadh where, in a major policy shift, the Republican president unexpectedly announced he would lift US sanctions on Syria, prompting Washington to significantly ease its measures.

"This FTO revocation is an important step in fulfilling President Trump’s vision of a stable, unified, and peaceful Syria," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, adding that the revocation will come into effect on Tuesday.

Last week, Trump signed an executive order terminating US sanctions program on Syria, a move that aims to end the country's isolation from the international financial system.

Syria's foreign ministry told Reuters that the lifting of sanctions on HTS was a "positive step toward correcting a course that previously hindered constructive engagement."

The written statement said Syria hoped the move would "contribute to the removal of remaining restrictions that continue to impact Syrian institutions and officials, and open the door to a rational, sovereign-based approach to international cooperation."

The ministry also said that Sharaa was planning to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September. The UN Security Council still has sanctions on both HTS and Sharaa himself, which require a Council decision to remove.