3 days ago
Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council closes Dr. Ban Ziyad's case, rules death a suicide
Baghdad ( – Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council announced today, Monday (August 18, 2025), the closure of the investigation into the death of Dr. Ban Ziyad, concluding that the incident was a suicide. The decision, which comes after weeks of public debate and speculation, was based on an investigation led by the Basra Appeals Court.
The Council explained that the Basra Appeals Court Presidency sent the final decision on Dr. Ban Ziyad's death to the head of the Supreme Judicial Council. The findings of the investigation pointed to suicide, leading to the official closure of the case. The Council's statement noted that the doctor's parents, sister, uncle, aunt, cousin, and brother all confirmed that she committed suicide due to 'overwhelming psychological pressures.'
The report detailed that the doctor had been diagnosed with depression and was under the care of specialized psychiatrists in Baghdad, receiving treatment with the drug Bupropion. The medical experts' reports indicated that her condition could lead to suicide if she failed to adhere to her treatment or succumbed to negative thoughts. A close associate, Mustafa Naji Safaa, also testified that Dr. Ban had previously shared her suicidal thoughts with him. The investigation also acknowledged the existence of recorded verbal disputes between the doctor and a suspect, 'Omar Dhahi.'
However, the case has been a matter of intense public scrutiny since the death of the young Iraqi doctor and social media content creator on Monday, August 4. Many Iraqis, particularly in her home city of Basra, have openly questioned the suicide narrative and have called for an independent murder investigation. This public skepticism has been fueled by claims from her colleagues that she did not suffer from psychological problems and by leaked forensic reports regarding the nature of the wounds on her body. While the family has maintained that her death was a suicide, many sympathetic to the late doctor have appeared on local television to challenge this version of events. The Ministry of Health and the Doctors' Syndicate of Iraq have so far offered only condolences, while the Basra police have stated they will release their investigation results upon completion.
