Basimah Yusuf Butrus

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Basimah Yusuf Butrus, also known as Basmah Yousif Putros (Syriac: ܒܐܣܡܐ ܝܘܣܦ ܦܛܪܘܣ), is an Iraqi Assyrian biochemist and politician born in 1963 in Erbil, Iraq. She studied at Salahaddin University-Erbil, earning a bachelor's degree in Chemistry and a master's in Biochemistry, and she worked as a lecturer before going into politics. She is a member of the Assyrian Democratic Movement and belongs to the Chaldean Catholic Church.

From May 2005 to May 2006, Butrus served as Minister of Science and Technology in the Iraqi Transitional Government under Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. She was the only Christian minister in Iraq at that time and the second Assyrian woman to be in the Iraqi government. In October 2005, she met Pope Benedict XVI during meetings with Italian officials.

In December 2005, she ran for the Erbil seat on the Rafidain List in the Iraqi parliamentary election. The coalition did not win in Erbil, and two other Assyrian candidates were elected. In 2010, she ran again on the Rafidain List and won a seat in parliament as part of the ADM, serving alongside Yonadam Kanna and another member.

As a member of Parliament, Butrus emphasized recognizing the Assyrian people in Iraq and ensuring equal citizenship. She has also worked with charity and human rights groups, including Women for Women International, Caritas, and an Assyrian cultural center in Ankawa.