Anfal genocide: Iraqi Parliament Deputy pushes for victims' justice

Shafaq News – Baghdad

On Friday, Mohsen al-Mandalawi, First Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, called on the government to honor the victims of the Anfal massacre and provide compensation to their families.

In a statement, al-Mandalawi described the repression and genocide carried out by the late Saddam Hussein and his regime against all segments of Iraqi society as a clear example of a tyrannical authority relying on oppression and violence to maintain power.

He also urged the government and concerned bodies to preserve the memory of the victims, ensure reparations for the harm suffered, and take measures to prevent such crimes from recurring.

“We stand with the families of the victims. Their resilience, sacrifices, and determination to overcome the legacy of violence remain a powerful testament to their strength,” al-Mandalawi noted, highlighting their commitment to coexistence and building a democratic, pluralistic Iraq.

On July 31, 1983, the former Baath regime rounded up more than eight thousand Kurdish men and boys—most of whom had been forcibly resettled in collective towns near Erbil. They were transported to the southern desert of Samawah and executed in one of the deadliest phases of the Anfal Campaign, later classified as genocide and ethnic cleansing.