The unforgettable pain of the people of Halabja

[Anthea]

Halabja Victims Association
Criticize Baghdad over Foreign Aid

The head of the Halabja Chemical Attack Victims Association said that although Iraq recently hosted the Arab Summit, the federal government missed a crucial opportunity to compensate the victims of the Anfal campaign and chemical attacks. Instead, the government continues to allocate funds to other countries

Iraq reportedly spent over 250 billion Iraqi dinars to organize the Arab Summit held in Baghdad on Saturday. Additionally, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani pledged $40 million in aid to Gaza and Lebanon.

Luqman Abdulqadir, president of the Halabja Chemical Attack Victims Association, told BasNews that while it is acceptable for the federal government to donate to Arab countries, such decisions should only be made when Iraq itself is not facing internal challenges and unmet needs.

“How about compensation for the victims of the Anfal campaign and chemical attacks, and for the families of the martyrs?” Abdulqadir asked, noting that many survivors of the Halabja chemical attack continue to suffer and have yet to receive compensation from the Iraqi federal government

He also mentioned that there are existing court rulings mandating compensation for victims of crimes committed by the former Iraqi regime, but the federal government has failed to comply with them.

“If Kurds are considered Iraqi citizens, they must be treated as equal citizens. All Iraqi laws must be implemented, and the federal government must not evade court rulings that serve the interests of the Kurdish people,” Abdulqadir concluded.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/883825

[Anthea]

Halabja Left Out of Election Seats

The Legal Committee of the Iraqi Parliament has ruled out the allocation of parliamentary seats for Halabja province in the upcoming elections, sparking criticism from Kurdish lawmakers who say the decision lacks transparency

Murtaza Saadi, Deputy Chairman of the committee, told BasNews that the electoral law for the House of Representatives and provincial councils will remain unchanged. “At this time, parliament is not able to amend the electoral law and allocate seats for Halabja province, because it is related to the technical aspects,” he said.

Dr. Nahla Effendi, a member of parliament from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), questioned the decision and blamed Baghdad for the unequal treatment. “The Iraqi parliament will not allocate any seats for Halabja constituency, the seats are mixed,” she said. “The seats in Sulaymaniyah have been mixed, which has raised the question of why two different systems are determined for two elections from Baghdad.”

Effendi also criticized the silence of local parties that had previously taken the matter to the Federal Court. “Now their silence is questionable to us—why they tried to make Halabja an independent constituency. Are you silent about Baghdad’s failure to allocate seats for Halabja?”

Earlier in the day, Hazim Radaini, deputy head of the Iraqi Human Rights Center, said that more than eight million eligible voters across Iraq have yet to register for the upcoming elections, raising concerns about participation. He noted that only voters with biometric electoral cards will be allowed to cast their ballots under Election Law No. 4 of 2023.

With Iraq’s voter base reaching 29 million, Radaini said the number of those biometrically registered does not exceed 21 million. The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has extended the deadline to update biometric cards until June 15 to improve turnout.

Nabard Omar, head of the Kurdistan’s electoral committee within IHEC, said the final day for registering electoral coalitions was May 22, after four extensions. Political parties and independent candidates will be able to register and submit their candidate lists from May 25 to June 24.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/884325

[Anthea]

Iraq Continues Efforts to Find Halabja

and Yezidi Missing Persons

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein announced Tuesday that Baghdad has dispatched a delegation to Tehran to follow up on the fate of individuals who went missing during the 1988 chemical attack on Halabja by the former Iraqi Ba’ath regime.

In a press conference held in Baghdad, Hussein said the Iraqi federal government is coordinating with Iranian officials in the search effort.

During the Halabja attack, 211 children were reported missing. To date, only 10 have been located, while the fate of the rest remains unknown.

“The search is ongoing, and we are committed to uncovering the truth and bringing closure to the families of the missing,” the foreign minister stated.

The chemical bombardment of Halabja in March 1988 claimed the lives of over 5,000 civilians, and many children were separated from their families. While some were later found alive, most remain unaccounted for.

Turning to the plight of the Yezidi community, Hussein affirmed that both the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, in coordination with international organizations, are continuing efforts to locate those kidnapped by Islamic State (ISIS) militants during the 2014 Sinjar massacre.

According to the Kurdistan Region’s Office for Rescuing Yazidi Kidnapped Persons, ISIS abducted 6,417 Yezidis in August 2014. So far, 3,585 have been rescued.

The ISIS attack on Sinjar in 2014 resulted in the mass killing of Yezidis and the abduction and enslavement of thousands of women and children.

Victims were often buried in mass graves. Out of 62 graves exhumed in the area, the remains of 600 individuals have been recovered, and 250 of those have been identified and returned to their families.

Hussein emphasized that the Iraqi government remains committed to continuing these humanitarian efforts, ensuring justice and accountability for the atrocities committed.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/884799

[Anthea]

Iraq Exhumes 81 of 98 Confirmed Mass Graves
With 17 Sites Scheduled for Excavation

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi authorities have excavated 81 of the 98 mass graves officially confirmed to be linked to the crimes of the former Ba'athist regime, with the remaining 17 sites already scheduled for excavation, a senior official announced Tuesday

Dhiaa Karim, Director General of Iraq’s Mass Graves Affairs and Protection Department, provided the update in an interview with Kurdistan24, detailing the methodical progress of the years-long effort.

“Out of the 98 identified mass graves, 81 have been excavated, which includes 161 individual graves,” Karim stated. “So far, only 98 sites have been confirmed as mass graves related to the crimes of the Ba'ath regime, while 17 other sites remain to be excavated.”

He confirmed that comprehensive plans are in place to complete the work. “Mapping and planning for excavation have been completed,” Karim said, noting that the timeline for the remaining sites was organized in coordination with international partners and the national forensic office.

Despite this progress, the official underscored that the mission is far from over. Karim revealed that the number of graves found is still less than the number of recorded victims, driving a continued search for more sites using advanced techniques like aerial photography.

Linking the forensic work to justice, Karim called for the trials of the former regime's criminals to be resumed, stating it is crucial to help locate the many graves that have yet to be found.

President Masoud Barzani, on Tuesday, addressed the Fifth International Conference on the Recognition of the Kurdish Genocide.

The conference, a landmark collaboration between the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Health, was held at the University of Duhok. Its stated aim is to scientifically document the Anfal crimes and mass graves in order to build an unassailable case for global recognition.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/87 ... excavation

[Anthea]

Nizarke Castle to Become
Memorial Museum for Anfal Victims

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – President Masoud Barzani announced on Tuesday that Nizarke Castle, a site synonymous with the oppression of the Kurdish people, will be transformed into a national museum dedicated to the victims of the Anfal campaign

The announcement came during a symbolic evening visit to the castle, where the President was accompanied by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and other senior officials.

From a Place of Suffering to a Place of Remembrance

According to a statement from Barzani headquarters, the future museum will honor the memory of the thousands of Kurds who were tortured, killed, or disappeared during the genocidal Anfal campaign waged by the former Iraqi Ba'ath regime in the late 1980s.

During the visit, President Barzani was briefed on the ongoing restoration process and the concrete steps being taken to establish the castle as a permanent historical and national institution. In a moment of solemn reflection, he recited the Fatiha, the opening chapter of the Quran, in memory of those who lost their lives at the site.

A Site of Brutal History

Nizarke Castle, built as a military facility in the 1980s, spans a 15,000-square-meter area and contains more than 80 rooms. Under the Ba'ath regime, it was converted into a detention and torture center.

The castle played a central role in the eighth and final stage of the Anfal campaign, known as the Bahdinan Anfal, which lasted from August 25 to September 6, 1988. This phase is widely considered the most ferocious, during which over 3,000 people from the Bahdinan region were rounded up at the castle, tortured, and later transported to mass execution sites.

The transformation of Nizarke Castle from a symbol of brutality into a center for education and remembrance marks a crucial effort by the Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure the atrocities of the past are neither forgotten nor repeated. The museum will stand as a permanent testament to the resilience of the Kurdish people and a tribute to the victims.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/87 ... al-victims