ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq's Ministry of Interior said Tuesday that it has formed a special investigative team to look into the killing of human rights lawyer Hamsa Jassim, who was gunned down in Wasit province earlier in the day.

Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari ordered the move after Jassim was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the provincial capital, Kut. The ministry said the team will work under his supervision but did not give additional details.

Local sources said Jassim was targeted while sitting in her car in the Amiri district of Kut, dying instantly after the attackers opened fire. Jassim was known as a practicing lawyer and also held a position in a government office in the province, the sources added.

The Nakheel Center for Rights and Freedoms condemned the killing and said the crime reflects a worsening environment of impunity in Iraq.

The group said a serious and transparent investigation is needed to prevent a further decline in public trust in the justice system.

The center also warned that attempts to delay or cover up the case would damage credibility and suggested the crime could be linked to powerful figures or influential parties. It offered condolences to Jassim’s family, colleagues, and the broader legal community.

According to the Strategic Center for Human Rights, citing data from the interior ministry, Iraq had the highest murder rate in the Arab world in 2022 and 2023, with this figure falling by 22 percent in 2024.