Kurdish genocide rights groups seek justice for Halabja, Anfal victims
Shafaq News/ On Saturday,human rights organizations called on the Iraqi government to formally apologizeto the victims of Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime’s genocidal acts against theKurdish population.
“The Iraqi government mustprovide compensation for the physical, psychological, and economic harmsuffered by the victims of Halabja, Anfal, and the Feyli Kurds,” Shorsh Amin,spokesperson for the network advocating for Halabja victims stated during apress conference, emphasizing that joining the ICC would contribute toresolving numerous genocide cases.
The Kurdish parliamentary blochas also voiced support for the call to join the ICC. A representative from thebloc stressed the need for Iraq to prioritize justice for genocide victims.
The Halabja massacre, whichoccurred on March 16, 1988, saw Saddam Hussein’s regime launch a chemicalweapons attack that killed over 5,000 civilians, predominantly women andchildren. More than 10,000 others were injured, many of whom continue to sufferfrom long-term health issues. This attack, widely regarded as an act ofgenocide, took place during the final stages of the eight-year Iraq-Iran Warand remains the deadliest chemical assault on a civilian population,specifically targeting the Kurds.
The Kurdish population alsoendured the horrors of the Anfal campaign, which led to the deaths of tens ofthousands and the displacement and execution of many, including the FeyliKurds.
In 2010, Ali Hassan al-Majid,known as “Chemical Ali” and cousin of Saddam Hussein, was sentenced to deathand executed for his role in the massacre.
