Kurdish woman dies near Turkish border while migrating to Europe

A 30-year-old Kurdish woman named Mehni Nabizada died shortly after crossing into Greece from Turkey with her family on June 14, Kurdish news outlet Rudaw reported on June 14. Nabizada's death was first reported on June 20, World Refugee Day.

Tuesday June 22 2021 04:14 pm

Nabizada's husband is seen with their two daughters (L) and carrying his wife on his back.

Duvar English

A 30-year-old Kurdish woman from Iran, Mehni Nabizada, died while trying to cross over to Europe from Turkey with her family, Kurdish news outlet Rudaw reported on June 21.

Nabizada left the city of Sardasht with her husband and two children on June 14, and her death was first reported on June 20, World Refugee Day.

The mother of two suffered from a heart condition, her husband Sardar Ibrahim told Rudaw, and the family had to take a break while walking through the woods on June 14 because Nabizada was exhausted.

"She had breathing difficulties. After I carried her to the road, I started to cry out for help. Unfortunately, nobody helped. Nobody stopped,” Ibrahim said. "She died with her head in my hands and the two children sitting beside us… I couldn’t do anything. I sat and cried."

Nabizada died near the Greek town of Mandra soon after the family crossed the border in Turkey, and her body is reportedly held in Alexandroupoli as her family remains in a refugee camp.

"The police came and separated my children and me from my dead wife. They jailed us for two nights and then they took us to this camp,” Ibrahim her husband told Rudaw.

The young woman's death came a week after the body of a Kurdish infant, Antin, was found in Norway.