International Conference on the Genocide of the Kurdish People Calls for Compensation and Recognition

Shafaq News/ The supervisory committee of the International Scientific Conference on the Genocide of the Kurdish People (the genocide of the Fayli Kurds) has called for the Iraqi Parliament to issue a special law to compensate the victims of the genocide, specifically the Fayli Kurds, return their properties, and define a global day for the genocide against the Kurds.

The supervisory committee of the conference stated in the final recommendations of the conference that "this conference was organized under the supervision of President Barzani from May 2 to May 4, 2023, in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region."

The committee added, "A supreme committee consisting of the presidents of Saladin, Soran, and Dohuk universities was formed to hold this conference. More than 160 short papers and 88 research papers from 25 countries were submitted to the conference's scientific committee during the three-day event."

The committee explained that "after discussions and receiving suggestions from conference participants, and in light of President Barzani's recommendations within the framework of the ninth conference, we call for a national institution to reorganize the administration, monitoring, and service of the various aspects of the Kurdish family's genocide. A center for the Fayli Kurds should be established in Erbil. At this stage, all conference recommendations should become a detailed roadmap for action."

The recommendations included; "a proposal for the Iraqi state to join the Rome Statute, and we suggest that the Iraqi Parliament issue a law regarding Iraq's signing of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The Iraqi state signed this convention in 1959, but it is not implemented at the domestic level in Iraq, and Iraq's membership in this convention has not yet been established by law."

The conference also recommended, "The Iraqi Parliament should issue a law specific to a permanent Supreme Court for crimes, particularly those related to genocide and crimes against humanity. The Iraqi Parliament should also issue a law regarding the allocation of an annual special budget for compensating the victims and those affected by the genocide of the Kurdish people in general and the Faili Kurds specifically."

In addition, the conference called for "the Iraqi government to apologize to the Fayli Kurds and all the Kurdish people who were subjected to genocide, Anfal crimes, chemical bombings, and displacement by successive governments in Iraq, and recognize that the current Iraqi government is the successor to the previous governments."

"The Iraqi legislator should legislate a national law specifically for genocide crimes. The Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government should include the topic of genocide in university curricula, especially in the Faculty of Humanities. The Iraqi government should also resolve identity and nationality issues and return confiscated movable and immovable properties to the Faili Kurds."

The communique called on the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to "work and intensify efforts to find the remains of the Fayli Kurds and return them to a deserving place, such as a national cemetery, and increase the quota seats for the Faili Kurds in the Iraqi Parliament."

"after discussions and receiving suggestions from conference participants, and in light of President Barzani's recommendations within the framework of the ninth conference, we call for a national institution to reorganize the administration, monitoring, and service of the various aspects of the Kurdish family's genocide. A center for the Fayli Kurds should be established in Erbil. At this stage, all conference recommendations should become a detailed roadmap for action."

The recommendations included; "A proposal for the Iraqi state to join the Rome Statute, and we suggest that the Iraqi Parliament issue a law regarding Iraq's signing of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The Iraqi state signed this convention in 1959, but it is not implemented at the domestic level in Iraq, and Iraq's membership in this convention has not yet been established by law."

The conference also recommended, "The Iraqi Parliament should issue a law specific to a permanent Supreme Court for crimes, particularly those related to genocide and crimes against humanity. The Iraqi Parliament should also issue a law regarding the allocation of an annual special budget for compensating the victims and those affected by the genocide of the Kurdish people in general and the Fayli Kurds specifically."

In addition, the conference called for "the Iraqi government to apologize to the Faili Kurds and all the Kurdish people who were subjected to genocide, Anfal crimes, chemical bombings, and displacement by successive governments in Iraq, and recognize that the current Iraqi government is the successor to the previous governments."