Shafaq News/ Yazidi MP Vian Dakhil announced on Wednesday that the Iraqi Parliament’s presidency has approved a draft law she proposed to repeal decrees issued by the now-dissolved Revolutionary Command Council concerning land ownership in the Sinjar and Zummar regions.
Dakhil called on residents in possession of these decree numbers to submit them to her office, saying, "This will ensure their inclusion in the proposed law to restore the rights of the original landowners."
The initiative aligns with broader national efforts to address the legacy of Baath-era policies. In May 2023, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid emphasized the need to expedite the review of these decrees, urging Parliament to legislate key constitutional laws.
To facilitate this process, committees comprising representatives from the presidency and the parliamentary legal committee were formed to categorize the decrees for amendment or repeal. According to Parliamentary Legal Committee Chair Ribwar Hadi, the review includes 5,903 decrees, many of which remain in effect. Among them are contentious laws that established special political and criminal courts during the Baathist regime.
These decrees have long been criticized for their harshness and their impact on vulnerable communities, including forced land confiscations in areas such as Sinjar and Zummar. Repealing them is seen as a step toward justice and reconciliation for affected populations.