The death of Iraqi psychiatrist Ban Ziyad Tariq in Basra has turned into a public controversy amid rising suspicions about the hypothesis of her suicide and calls for an independent investigation into what is described as a “deliberate murder.” While her family announced that she committed suicide ten days ago inside her home, the initial report revealed deep wounds on her arms, bruises on her neck and face, and the disabling of surveillance cameras at the scene, which contradicts the suicide hypothesis. Ban’s case is also linked to the murder of university professor Sarah Al-Aboudah nine months ago, after information circulated about the late doctor refusing to write a psychological report in favor of the convicted killer, sparking speculation that her elimination might be related to the same case.

The incident ignited the Iraqi street and social media, with protesters in Basra demanding the truth, while parliament members called for a swift announcement of the investigation results and no “delays” in the case. The Basra Doctors Syndicate stressed waiting for the forensic report, confirming its commitment to the legal path away from politicization. Between the family’s suicide narrative and activists’ and politicians’ accusations of “deliberate murder,” the death of the young doctor Ban Ziyad Tariq remains one of the most controversial cases in Iraq recently.