Iraq: 17-year-old girl swarmed, attacked by male mob for 'dressing immodestly'

A 17-year-old girl was publicly attacked by 16 men in Iraq for dressing "immodestly" at a motorcycle race in the city of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

The horrific incident took place on December 30 and came to light after a video of it went viral on social media. The video shows the young girl running around to escape the chasing men.

According to local media reports, the woman was beaten, insulted, and kicked against a car by the mob of angry men.

She received injuries in the attack, but they were not considered life-threatening. The woman was accompanied by a male friend, but he was stabbed when he tried to intervene, according to a report in The National News.

The girl could be seen wearing a black vest top with a cardigan and a skirt. She could be seen hiding her face with a tissue as she tried to get away from the mob. But that did not deter the men from attacking and swarming her. They could be heard yelling at the girl while filming her on their phones.

Women were only recently barred from participating in these races. In a Twitter post, the NGO Kurdistan Watch revealed that this was not the first time that the girl had gone to attend such an event.

The men, however, claimed that women should not attend these races as it could "divert the attention of the racers."

According to local police, sixteen men have been arrested in connection with the incident. The police also confiscated knives, machetes, and knuckledusters from the accused.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzanihas, said that such incidents are "unacceptable" and strict action will be taken against the accused.

"The mob attack on a young girl in Slemani yesterday, at a moment that should've been about celebrating the New Year, is shameful, inexcusable, and completely unacceptable. I've spoken to the Interior and Justice Ministers to investigate and hold those responsible accountable," he wrote in a Twitter post.