Samira Saleh Ali al-Naimi
Samira Salih al-Nuaimi (also Samira Saleh Ali al-Naimi, Sameera Salih Ali al-Nuaimy, or smyr@ SlH ln`ymy in Arabic) (1963 - 22 September 2014) was an Iraqi lawyer and human rights activist.
She had criticized Islamic State on Twitter because they destroyed mosques, churches, and shrines. She was then kidnapped by men in masks. She was tortured for five days and then was killed by Islamic State (ISIS or Daish).
The United Nations spoke out strongly against the killing.
Work
Samiraa al-Nuaimi was a lawyer. According to the Gulf Centre For Human Rights, she worked on detainee rights and poverty. She worked as a volunteer for women's rights. She was one of the leading activists in Iraq, especially in the defense of people in jail, and in helping families with little money.
Samira lived in the northeastern part of Mosul with her husband and three children. 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. Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the United Nations human rights commissioner, said her familiy was not permitted to give her a funeral.
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.
International reaction
The United States Department of State condemned Samira's murder. They said she was brave because she helped people when she was in danger.
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". 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.
References
Iraqi human rights activists
Lawyers
Executed people
1963 births
2014 deaths