Doski Azad

Doski Azad was a 23-year-old transgender woman living in Duhok, Iraqi Kurdistan. She was a make-up artist and internet personality who was open about her transition on social media. On 28 January 2022, she was shot and killed by her estranged brother, Chakdar Azad, in what has been described as a transphobic honour killing; her murder was discovered three days later, on 31 January 2022.

It is reported that Doski had left her family five years prior to the incident, but her family continued to pursue and intimidate her. The incident received wide coverage in international media and was met with condemnation by various organisations, including human rights groups, LGBT organisations, and foreign diplomatic missions. While the Kurdish authorities said that they issued an arrest warrant and worked with Interpol to find the perpetrator, her murderer has still not been found to date.

The murder of Doski Azad has brought attention to the issue of transphobic violence and discrimination faced by transgender individuals in Iraq and Kurdistan, as well as the need for better protection and support for transgender individuals who may be at risk of honour killings. Various advocacy groups have called for urgent action to address transphobic violence and discrimination and to provide support and resources for transgender individuals.

Background Doski had been hiding from her family since 2018 due to the danger she faced as a transgender woman. She parted ways from her family and was working as a make-up artist in a salon in Erbil. Despite her efforts to keep her location secret, her brother was able to track her down after a one-month search in Babukhki village, shooting Doski twice in the head and chest.

According to IraQueer, Chakdar believed Doski had "degraded the males in her family", Local media reported that her social media accounts were also deleted. Doski's body was only found after a relative had reported it to the police.

Doski's Day Kurdish LGBT+ activists marked 28 January as Doski's Day.