President Nechirvan Barzani urges Baghdad to fulfill obligations to families of Anfal victims

ERBIL — Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani marked the 37th anniversary of the Anfal campaign on Sunday with a call for justice, urging the Iraqi federal government to meet its legal and moral responsibilities to compensate the families of the victims.

“We reaffirm that the Iraqi Federal Government bears both a legal and moral responsibility to provide compensation to the families of the victims of Anfal in all aspects,” Barzani said in a statement. “It is imperative that the government enforces the ruling of the Iraqi Supreme Criminal Court, which recognized Anfal as genocide and a crime against humanity.”

Today marks the 37th anniversary of the Anfal campaigns, a series of genocidal operations carried out by Saddam Hussein’s regime in the late 1980s targeting the Kurdish population in Iraq. Tens of thousands of civilians were arrested, executed, and buried in mass graves, while entire villages were destroyed. The anniversary serves as a day of mourning and remembrance for the victims and a call for justice and recognition of one of the most brutal chapters in Iraq’s modern history.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also marked the anniversary, condemning the Anfal genocide and affirming Iraq’s unity and commitment to justice.

Full Statement by Nechirvan Barzani:

Today, we solemnly observe the 37th anniversary of the infamous Anfal campaign carried out by the former Iraqi regime in 1988, which resulted in the deaths of over 182,000 people, including children, men, and women from Kurdistan. Anfal stands as one of the most heinous acts of genocide in history, leaving lasting scars on the collective memory and conscience of our people.

In remembrance of the Anfal martyrs, we extend our deepest respect and condolences to their resilient families. We reaffirm that the Iraqi Federal Government bears both a legal and moral responsibility to provide compensation to the families of the victims of Anfal in all aspects. It is imperative that the government enforces the ruling of the Iraqi Supreme Criminal Court, which recognized Anfal as genocide and a crime against humanity.

We stress that all relevant entities within the Kurdistan Region are committed to supporting and caring for the families of the martyrs, restoring the areas affected by Anfal, recovering and returning the remains of the martyrs, and we will continue our efforts to secure full international recognition of the Anfal campaign as genocide.

The status and achievements of the Kurdistan Region are a direct result of the sacrifices made by the martyrs. On this occasion, we reaffirm our commitment to unity and solidarity in safeguarding our constitutional rights and striving for a future defined by justice and peace for the people of Kurdistan.

Nechirvan Barzani
President of the Kurdistan Region