Still No Answers for Sorani Mama Hama’s Assassination

Manchester – July 21, 2025
On the 17th anniversary of the assassination of Sorani Mama Hama, Kurdish activists from the 17th of February Organization for Human Rights gathered in front of the Iraqi Consulate in Manchester to honor the slain journalist and demand long-overdue justice.

“Seventeen years have passed, and the perpetrator has neither been punished nor brought to court,” said one of the organizers. “We will continue this action until the criminal is held accountable.”

Sorani Mama Hama, known as the “martyr of the pen,” was assassinated in 2008 in front of his home after publishing investigative reports on corruption among powerful figures in the Kurdistan Region. His murder remains unsolved.

Protesters stressed that Sorani’s courage and commitment to exposing the truth made him a target, and that his case symbolizes the broader repression of journalists in both Kurdistan and Iraq.

“When a government kills a journalist, what kind of government is that for the people?” one activist asked during the rally, holding a photo of Sorani. “He was killed because his words reached the people—his reporting threatened their grip on power.”

The demonstration ended with a moment of silence, as participants vowed to continue their campaign until those responsible for Sorani’s murder are brought to justice.