Acting Speaker of Iraqi Parliament commemorates Halabja massacre, vows support for victims' families

Shafaq News / Acting Speaker of the Parliament Mohsen Al-Mandalawi stated, on Saturday, that the Parliament supports fair legislation for the families of the victims of the chemical bombardment carried out by the former regime under Saddam Hussein's leadership on the city of Halabja in the late 1980s, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians, mostly women, children, and elderly.

Al-Mandalawi said, "We painfully commemorate the 36th anniversary of the massacre committed by the criminal Baathist regime against the innocent residents of Halabja, using internationally prohibited chemical weapons even during wars, resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians."

He pointed out that "this catastrophe will remain a living witness to the brutality of the dictatorial regime, representing a blatant violation of human values, and it has been and will continue to be a symbol for the world, reflecting the policy of murder, destruction, and genocide of the dictatorial regime."

The Acting Speaker of the Parliament affirmed "the full support and keenness of the Parliament on legislating any law capable of achieving social justice and ensuring fairness for the families of the victims of the bloody record of the Baathist regime and seeking retribution for those whose hands are stained with the blood of Iraqis."

Today marks the 36th anniversary of the chemical bombing of Halabja by Saddam Hussein's regime.

In the early 1980s, the Baath regime buried 8,000 Barzanis alive during the Anfal campaign. More than 182,000 civilians were transferred to deserts in southern Iraq and brutally killed over a nearly four-year operation known as the Anfal campaign, destroying more than 4,000 villages in Kurdistan.

Halabja, with a population of 50,000, is located 15 kilometers from the Iranian border and is part of al-Sulaymaniya governorate in the Kurdistan Region.

It is situated 350 kilometers northeast of Baghdad, surrounded by several mountain ranges. Mount Hawraman overlooks it, separating it from Iran, and features a crystalline white summit covered in snow throughout the year.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced on March 13, 2023, the council's approval of a bill to establish Halabja Governorate, forwarding it to the parliament for a vote, However, the parliament has not yet voted on the bill.