Mass grave opens: 1991 Uprising victims honored in Iraq’s Basra
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, the Basra local government inaugurated the first mass grave for victims of the 1991 Shaaban Uprising, following its rehabilitation in Al-Hussein (First Line) neighborhood.
“The grave, discovered after 2003, was documented as the first registered case in the province,” Basra’s Deputy Governor, Hassan Al-Najjar, told Shafaq News Agency, highlighting that it contained the remains of more than 37 victims, some of whom have been identified, while unidentified remains were reburied at the site as a memorial.
Al-Najjar also emphasized that rehabilitating the grave is part of efforts to preserve the victims’ memory and document crimes committed by the former regime, stressing the importance of “honoring the martyrs and educating future generations about their sacrifices.”
About the 1991 Shaaban Uprising
The uprising began in Basra after an Iraqi soldier fired at a statue of Saddam Hussein, sparking widespread protests across 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces. Armed civilians, defecting soldiers, and Kurdish forces joined the rebellion, targeting military and police facilities. Economic hardship and government neglect fueled the unrest.
The regime responded with heavy force, deploying helicopter gunships, artillery, and chemical weapons to crush the uprising. Tens of thousands were killed, and many were buried in mass graves across Iraq.
Experts estimate these sites may hold up to 300,000 victims, primarily Shiite Muslims and Kurds executed between 1983 and 1991 for opposing the government.
