Third cemetery vandalism case reported in Erbil after 11 graves damaged

ERBIL — A third case of cemetery vandalism has been discovered in Erbil, raising concern among residents after 11 graves were found damaged in the Said Maarouf Cemetery in the Balashawa neighborhood.

Local residents told 964media the newly damaged graves include those of Said Maarouf and his relatives. Fereydoun Haji, an Erbil resident who visits the cemetery frequently, said the destruction appears to predate two other recent incidents that drew public attention.

“Both of my uncles are buried here, and I visit their graves often,” he said. “The graves were vandalized before the graves in Koya and before the ones in Sheikh Ahmad.”

The attack adds to what has become a pattern of cemetery violations in recent days. On Dec. 4, 2025, nearly 15 Christian graves in the village of Hermota in Koya district were vandalized, an incident that stirred fear among residents who said they had “always lived with Muslims as brothers in this town.” Some days later, another 15 graves were vandalized at Sheikh Ahmad Cemetery in Erbil, where one grave structure was set on fire.

A cemetery custodian, Sheikh Anas, said the damage at Sheikh Ahmad was discovered on Saturday and called it “an unpleasant incident for Erbil because such behavior is rare,” urging authorities to install surveillance to prevent repeat attacks.

Authorities have not yet identified suspects in any of the three cases. Residents in Balashawa, Hermota and the Sheikh Ahmad area have all called for stronger monitoring of cemeteries and swift investigations.

The Kurdistan Regional Government previously condemned the Hermota incident as “unacceptable and shameful in every form” and ordered the cemetery restored, stressing that Christians remain an “authentic component of Kurdistan.” Security forces say investigations into the series of vandalism cases across the governorate are ongoing.