President Barzani: Baghdad must ensure rights of Anfal victims
Shafaq News – Erbil
On Monday, Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani called on the Iraqi government to fully recognize and safeguard the rights of Anfal campaign victims as the Kurdistan Region marked the 37th anniversary of the atrocities in Badinan.
The Anfal campaign, launched by Saddam Hussein’s forces in the late 1980s, killed an estimated 180,000 Kurds and razed thousands of villages. Its final phase in Badinan, between August 25 and September 6, 1988, targeted civilians, land, and the environment, leaving mass graves still being uncovered.
This year, the remains of several victims from Gara were returned to their families and reburied in official ceremonies after legal and forensic procedures. In a post on X, Barzani said these acts of remembrance “highlight the scale of the atrocity and the need for lasting recognition.”
له يادى (٣٧) ساڵهى ئهنفالى باديناندا، به ڕێزهوه ههموو شههيدانى بادينان و كوردستان بهگشتى بهبير دههێنينهوه. لهم يادهدا كه ئهمڕۆ ژمارهيهك ڕووفاتى شههيدانى ئهو تاوانكارييه له دهڤهرى بهرى گاره، دواى ڕێكاره ياسايى و پزيشكييهكان له ڕێوڕهسمێكدا به خاك ده…
— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) August 25, 2025
Iraq’s Supreme Criminal Tribunal has ruled that Anfal constitutes genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. “This verdict should form the basis for ensuring victims’ rights are restored,” Barzani emphasized.
He added that such tragedies must serve as lessons for Iraq’s leaders, underscoring the need for coexistence, cooperation, and stability across the country and the Region.
