Public seminar to highlight the plight of Iraqi and Kurdish women

12.06.27pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 17th May 2007

FRIDAY 18TH MAY. 18.30-10.00pm. The Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EA.

A public seminar in memory of Du'a Khalil Aswad , Kurdish teenager brutally stoned to death in front of hundreds of witnesses is being held in London.

Du'a's only "crime" was to fall in love with an Arab man not from her own "faith".

The seminar aims to highlight this barbaric crime and discuss the background to so called 'honour killings' in Kurdistan. The campaign will outline its plan of mounting pressure on the Kurdish authorities to take responsible measures to protect women from killing and stoning.

Speakers include,

Houzan Mahmoud: Representative Abroad of Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq and initiator of Campaign against Killing and Stoning of Women in Kurdistan.

· Heather Harvey: Amnesty International's Women against Violence project manager.

· Diana Nammi: Director of Kurdish and Iranian Women's Rights Organization, and chair of International Campaign Against Honour Killings and initiator of Campaign Against Killing and Stoning of Women in Kurdistan.

· Rega Rauf: Representative of Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq in Sweden, writer and researcher in honour killings in Kurdistan.

The event is open to all. For more information please contact Houzan Mahmoud, 0795 6883001.