Justice Served: Kurdish Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Akitu Axe Attack on Iraqi Christians

A criminal court in Erbil has sentenced Luay Abdul Rahim Ramadan, a Syrian Kurdish national, to life imprisonment for carrying out an axe attack on Assyrian / Chaldean Christians during the Akitu / Kha-b-Nisan New Year celebrations in Nohadra (Duhok) on April 1, 2025.

The attack occurred in broad daylight during one of the oldest cultural festivals observed by the Assyrian, Chaldean, and Syriac peoples. The annual celebration draws families, youth, and diaspora visitors from across Iraq and abroad. Ramadan attacked participants in the procession with a cleaver, seriously injuring at least two people, including a young man and an elderly woman, before being subdued by attendees and taken into custody by security forces.

Video footage circulating at the time showed the assailant shouting extremist slogans as he ran toward the peaceful celebration. Authorities later linked his actions to Islamic State-inspired ideology, raising deep concern among the region’s Christian communities, who continue to face targeted violence and intimidation.

The life sentence is being viewed as a rare and significant moment of accountability for violence committed against Christians in northern Iraq, where many past attacks have gone unresolved. Community leaders and civil society groups welcomed the ruling as a meaningful step toward justice and a clear rejection of ideologically motivated violence.

“The ruling sends a powerful message that violence against our people will not be tolerated, and that the justice system can and must protect all citizens equally,” an Christian political representative said following the verdict.

Assyrian, Chaldean, and Syriac Christians are among the oldest indigenous peoples of Mesopotamia, with a presence in northern Iraq stretching back thousands of years. In recent decades, they have endured displacement, persecution, and mass violence, particularly during the rise of ISIS and the instability that followed. The 2025 Akitu attack was widely condemned at the time by local officials, international organizations, and human rights advocates as an act of terrorism targeting a religious minority.

Despite the trauma of that day, Akitu continues to be celebrated each year as a symbol of survival, faith, and cultural pride. For many, today’s verdict represents both justice for the victims and a cautious hope for greater protection and coexistence in the future.