In a rare ruling welcomed by Assyrian groups, a court in Northern Iraq has sentenced the perpetrator of the 2025 Akitu attack in Nohadra to life in prison, marking an unusual instance of accountability for violence targeting Assyrians.
The Erbil Criminal Court in Northern Iraq has issued a life imprisonment sentence against Luay Abdul Rahim Ramadan, a Syrian Kurd, after convicting him of carrying out an axe attack on the Assyrian New Year (Akitu) procession on 1 April 2025 in Nohadra (Duhok). The attack left two Assyrians, a woman and a young man, seriously injured.
The attack occurred in broad daylight during official Akitu festivities attended by families and youth, drawing widespread condemnation from Assyrian political parties, civil society groups, and human rights organizations at the time.
Assyrian groups welcomed the sentence, with the Assyrian Democratic Movement (ADM) describing the ruling as “justice served and a clear rejection of terrorism.” Community figures noted that the verdict sends an important signal amid growing concerns over incitement and hate speech targeting Assyrians in the Kurdish-run region.
The ruling remains a rare instance of accountability in the region, where many attacks against Assyrians have historically gone unpunished. Several high-profile cases, including the 1993 assassination of Assyrian politician Francis Shabo, remain unresolved, with perpetrators never brought to justice.
In addition, dozens of court rulings in favor of Assyrian landowners, particularly in cases involving the illegal seizure of Assyrian lands, have yet to be implemented, contributing to deep mistrust in the rule of law among Assyrians.
In March 1993, Assyrian public schools were established in northern Iraq following the establishment of the no-fly zone, marking a historic milestone for the Assyrian people. For the first time, Assyrian children were able to receive a full education in Assyrian within the public school system.
The Court of First Instance in Midyat has acquitted the suspects in the murder of Gevriye Ego, who was killed on 6 November 2023 outside his home in Anhel, an Assyrian village in the Tur Abdin region.
Recent reports from Turkish news outlets indicate a staggering surge in housing prices across Mardin province, with one historic center standing out above the rest: Midyat.
There has been a surge of AI-generated music online over the past few months, including AI covers of old songs, entirely new tracks, and even the emergence of Narina Sarkis and Remos Ashuraya, believed to be the first-ever Assyrian AI singers.
The patriarchate of the Chaldean Catholic Church revealed in a letter made public on 22 February that church property in the diocese of Urmia in western Iran had been sold illegally by a deacon serving as the diocesan procurator.
Assyrians across the world recently commemorated the martyrdom of Catholicos-Patriarch of the Church of the East, Mar Benyamin XXI Shimun, who was assassinated on 3 March 1918 by the Kurdish tribal chief Simko Shikak.
The Assyrian Democratic Organization has welcomed the agreement between the Syrian government and the PYD/YPG, calling it an important step toward restoring stability, state sovereignty, and inclusive governance in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province.
The Assyria Post
The Assyria Post
The Assyria Post
