UOD, August 2, 2026 | University Press Office (UNPO) – The University of Duhok (UOD) held a special academic ceremony to honor the College of Law team in recognition of its outstanding achievement at the 13th International Bar Association (IBA) International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot Court Competition.

The ceremony was attended by Professor Dawood Sulaiman Atrushi, President of the University of Duhok; Dr. Aveen Khalid Abdulrahman, Dean of the College of Law; and a number of distinguished legal and governmental figures, including Dr. Ahmed Saffar, former Member of the Iraqi Parliament and former Dean of the College of Law; Dr. Waad Sulaiman, Advisor to the Kurdistan Parliament; Judge Mohammed Amin, President of the Duhok Court of Appeal; and Dr. Haval Sadiq Ismail, Director General of Investment.

Opening the ceremony, Dr. Aveen Khalid Abdulrahman praised the outstanding efforts of the students and faculty members who represented the University in the prestigious international competition. She congratulated the team on its remarkable performance and expressed appreciation for the continuous support provided by the University President.

In his remarks, Dr. Dawood Sulaiman Atrushi congratulated the team for demonstrating exceptional legal knowledge and advocacy skills in English on an international stage, emphasizing that their achievement reflects the high academic standards and quality of legal education at the University of Duhok.

The ceremony also featured remarks by Dr. Ary Arif Omer, Lecturer in Law and Director of the Legal Clinic, who reviewed the team's preparation process and training journey. Certificates of appreciation were then presented to the participating students—Hishyar Jangeer Abdulaziz, Shanaz Shaban Mohammed, and Amar Jasim Mohammed—along with their supervisors.

The IBA ICC Moot Court Competition, established in 2004, is jointly organized by the International Bar Association (IBA), the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies at Leiden University, and supported by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The 13th edition was held in The Hague, Netherlands, from 12–19 June 2026, where the University of Duhok proudly represented both the University and Iraq.

Competing against leading universities from around the world, the University of Duhok team secured 78th place in the preliminary rounds, reflecting the team's strong preparation and commitment to excellence in international legal education and advocacy.

The team's written memorials received highly positive evaluations from the international judging panels. The Defense Memorial earned an outstanding score of 98%, receiving an "Excellent" evaluation, while the Government Memorial scored 71.38% and the Prosecution Memorial achieved 75.1%, both receiving "Good" evaluations.

The team's oral advocacy performances also demonstrated strong legal reasoning and courtroom skills. The team scored 67.51% in the Government role, 72.38% in the Prosecution role, and 65.1% in the Defense role, with the defense memorial receiving the highest overall written evaluation.

The University of Duhok delegation was led by Dr. Aveen Khalid Abdulrahman, Dean of the College of Law, and Dr. Ary Arif Abdulaziz, Director of the Legal Clinic, who supervised and coached the participating students throughout the competition.

This achievement reflects the University of Duhok's continued commitment to the goals of its Strategic Plan (2023–2038), particularly in advancing internationalization, student excellence, experiential learning, and global academic engagement. Participation in international moot court competitions enables students to develop advanced skills in legal research, advocacy, critical thinking, and international criminal law while further strengthening the University's position as a leading institution for legal education in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

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University Press Office (UNPO), August 2, 2026

Reported by: Rondik Fadhil Adel

Photography: Mohammed A. Tahar