ERBIL — Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani marked the 47th anniversary of the execution of Leila Qasim, a Kurdish student in Baghdad who fought for her nation to the bitter end.

Barzani described Qasim as “a symbol of resilience for all Kurdish women”.

“Ms. Qasim, for the pursuit of her nation, chose death over bowing down to the oppressor. May peace be upon the soul of Ms. Qasim and all the martyrs of liberty,” the Kurdish leader added in his statement published on Twitter.

On May 12, 1974, the Baath regime executed young Leyla Qassim and four of her colleagues for their involvement in the Kurdish struggle for freedom in Iraq.

BasNews