Samira Saleh Ali al Naimi

Samira Saleh Ali al-Naimi was an Iraqi lawyer and human rights activist, who was known for her work on detainee rights and women's rights. She was born in 1963 in Mosul, to a patriotic family of Georgian origin. She graduated from the College of Law at Mosul University and worked as a lawyer and journalist. She also volunteered for several civil society organizations and charities, such as the Hammurabi Human Rights Organization, the Iraqi Women's Network, and the Mosul Women's Forum. She was a vocal critic of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which occupied Mosul in 2014. She posted comments on her Facebook account denouncing ISIL's destruction of religious and cultural sites in the city. She also defended the rights of the people who were oppressed and persecuted by ISIL. On September 17, 2014, she was abducted from her home by masked men and taken to a secret location. She was tortured and tried by a self-styled Sharia court for apostasy. She was publicly executed by ISIL on September 22, 2014. She was 51 years old. Her killing was condemned by the United Nations, the United States, and various human rights groups. She was described as a brave and courageous woman who dedicated her life to defending the dignity and rights of others.