Sulaymaniyah, 12 May 2009: Last year on this day, 11 May 2008 at 2300 HRS, Asuda’s shelter building in Sulaymaniyah came under gunfire attack by unidentified gunmen. As a result of the attack, a woman held at the shelter was seriously wounded by three direct bullets.

The gunmen apparently opened fire on the shelter from a house [reportedly unoccupied] next to the shelter and shot at the shelter premises. The relevant security and police authorities were immediately notified about the incident and security authorities started investigation into the incident to identify the motives and perpetrators of the attack.  

Unfortunately, today after one year the authorities have not been able to come up with a conclusion as to who perpetrated the attack and why Asuda was attacked. Although Asuda has written a couple of official letters to the security authorities in Sulaymaniyah seeking information about progress of the investigations and if the authorities were able to  conclude anything about the attack, Asuda has not received any official or verbal response on this. Asuda has been subject to various forms of direct and indirect threats because of its protection work. Women protection is a difficult challenge in Iraq and Kurdistan due to society’s culture and tradition and lack of laws and regulations to combat violence and abuse against women.  Asuda for Combating Violence against Women was founded in 2000 in Sulaymaniyah and has been running a Women Protection Shelter since 2002. Since its establishment, Asuda provided protection to hundreds of women. Asuda calls upon the Kurdistan Regional Government to provide protection to human rights organizations and activists and ensure that perpetrators of attacks against them and brought to justice.