In a statement issued today, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, affirmed that the Kurdish freedom fighter and martyr Leyla Qasim, along with her comrades executed 52 years ago, will remain symbols of struggle and sacrifice for the freedom and dignity of Kurdistan.
The statement noted that Leyla Qasim and her companions “faced the gallows 52 years ago and ascended as martyrs for the sake of Kurdistan’s liberty and honor,” highlighting that she “is not merely a national symbol, but a beacon of awareness and a pioneer for the women of Kurdistan in struggle and sacrifice.”
President Barzani explained that through her “unparalleled steadfastness in prisons and before the gallows,” the martyr proved that “Kurdish women possess a will of steel and are prepared to sacrifice their lives for the freedom and dignity of their people.”
The statement further added that Leyla Qasim’s struggle—”beginning from the city of Khanaqin to Baghdad University, and until the final moments of her life in the prisons of the Ba’ath regime”—has become a model of pride and self-confidence for subsequent generations. He emphasized that her legacy “will remain alive in the conscience of Kurds and the people of Kurdistan as a lesson in selflessness, resilience, and patriotism.”
In conclusion, the President of the Kurdistan Region stated: “On this painful anniversary, we bow in reverence and honor to the pure souls of the martyr Leyla Qasim, her comrades, and all the martyrs of Kurdistan, and we salute their proud families.”
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version: Click here
