Vigil held in memory of pregnant woman who died on Arthur's Seat

A vigil has been held in memory of a pregnant woman who died on Arthur’s Seat last year.

Fawziyah Javed, 31, fell from Salisbury Crags in Edinburgh and was pronounced dead at the scene on September 2, 2021.

Her husband has been charged with her murder.

A small and intimate gathering took place on Friday as people gathered to pay tribute to Ms Javed’s memory on what would have been the due date of her unborn son.

“Fawziyah has left a massive void in our lives. The spark has gone out of our lives forever. We miss you every single second of the day,” her family said in a statement read out at the short service outside the Scottish Parliament, in view of the hill where she died.

People from across Edinburgh and beyond attended the service, where flowers were laid and candles were lit in her memory and speeches made by women’s organisations from across the capital.

Chloe Whyte, who organised the vigil, said: “We’ll be talking a bit about her life, the fact she was a dedicated charity worker, and how her family – after her passing – raised a lot of money for food banks.”

Ms Whyte helped found Reclaim These Streets Edinburgh last March and was contacted by Ms Javed’s mother, Yasmin, to help set up the event on Friday.

There were speeches by representatives of women’s support groups.

Fawziyah is originally from Leeds and a service took place on the steps of the city’s Civic Hall in Millennium Square at the same time as the Edinburgh event.

Khasif Anwar, Fawziyah’s husband, has been charged with her murder and made no plea when he appeared in court last year.