President Masoud Barzani on Monday commemorated Kurdish activist Leyla Qasim and her comrades on the fifty-second anniversary of their arrest and martyrdom.

In a message published on X, Barzani said that Leyla Qasim and her fellow martyrs sacrificed their lives for the freedom and dignity of the Kurdish people, becoming lasting symbols of liberation for all freedom-seekers in Kurdistan.

“Martyr Leyla Qasim and her comrades, in the embrace of their people's freedom and dignity, sacrificed their precious lives and became an example and symbol of liberation for all freedom-seekers of Kurdistan,” the statement read.

Barzani added that on the anniversary of their arrest and martyrdom, greetings are extended to “their pure souls and the souls of all martyrs of the path of freedom.”

Leyla Qasim remains one of the most recognized figures in the Kurdish national struggle. She was executed by the former Iraqi regime in 1974 alongside several of her comrades, and her memory continues to hold deep significance across Kurdistan.