Title: Kurdistan Region of Iraq ( KRI )
Language of Translation:
Place of publication: Copenhagen.Denmark
Publisher: The Danish Immigration Service
Release date:2018

On the prevalence of domestic violence and honour conflicts in KRI, the rate has recently increased. The sources mentioned many reasons for the increase, including the economic crisis due to the conflict with
ISIS. Honour crime is underreported due to the fear of stigma and violence from the society and the family. Honour crimes are more frequent in small towns and rural areas of KRI than in the urban areas. The towns mentioned by the sources are Ranya, Qaladze, Peshdar, Chamchamal, Kalar and Kifri. People in bigger cities like Dohuk and Erbil are also known to have conservative gender role attitudes.
A change among youths was perceived in terms of sexual relationships in the sense that they can choose their own spouse, especially in the cities and among educated families.
Sources disagreed on whether or not honour killings are widespread.
Extramarital relationships are seen as unacceptable in KRI, and people are aware that they take a severe risk by doing so. In the cities, the attitudes towards premarital relations are milder compared to the more conservative rural areas.
Women who have a premarital affair known to their families or who get married without the acceptance of their family are at risk of being killed. The surviving victims of honour crimes are often reluctant to
approach the authorities. However, a majority of cases at the KRG authority Directorate of Combating Vio large part of these cases are chlence Against Women (DCVAW) are filed by women; aaracterised as
complaints on less serious cases than honour killings and suicide attempts.
Legislation in KRI, as a rule, provides for protection of women against violence. However, there are many barriers to the implementation of the legislation, such as the discriminatory mentality of the authorities
against women, the lack of investigation of criminal cases as well as the protection given by the ruling parties to some perpetrators. Furthermore, there are rape cases in which the woman is seen as the perpetrator. No, or very few, perpetrators are sentenced due to the lack of evidence; some perpetrators of honour crime are convicted to one year in prison. Both men and women are convicted in court for adultery,and the sentencing is five to seven years imprisonment. However, the convicted does not necessarily serve full time.
There is a shelter for women in each of the bigger cities in KRI: Erbil, Sulaimania and Dohuk. Women can access the shelters by court order; in order to leave the shelter, the women also need a court order. When the woman is released from the shelter, she will often return to her family. In some cases, they might protect her, while in other cases they might kill her. Yet another possible outcome is that the woman
chooses to commit suicide or is pressured to do so.Families prefer to settle disputes in tribal councils rather than in the courts. This is due to the risk of shame and stigma in case people outside the tribe found out about the conflict. Especially, in the rural areas,honour conflicts are often solved by the tribe. There are very few known cases where the victim of an honour conflict had escaped. It was highlighted that
a network for returnees was an important factor, which is why it is necessary for the returnee to reconcile with the family.[1]