Politics

PM Barzani marks 36th anniversary of Halabja attack, calls for compensation and recognition

“We must constantly remind the Iraqi government and the authorities in Baghdad of the monstrosity of the crimes committed against our people. They have an obligation to compensate the Kurdish people,” he insisted.

Kurdistan 24 2024/03/16 09:58

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani marking the 36th anniversary of Halabja attack. (Photo: KRG)

Kurdistan PM Masrour Barzani Halabja Halabja Chemical Attack 36th Anniversary

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Marking the 36th anniversary of the Halabja chemical attack by the former Iraqi regime, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday commemorated the innocent lives lost to the “brutality of the former Iraqi regime and the silence of the international community.”

PM Barzani highlighted that, “The main goal of this crime, and other crimes of successive Iraqi regimes against the Kurdish nation, was to commit genocide against the Kurdish nation and erase their identity.”

He also pointed out that, even after 21 years since the fall of Saddam Hussein and his regime, “successive Iraqi governments are not ready to compensate the families of the martyrs of Halabja and the victims of Anfal and other crimes, which is a legitimate and constitutional right of the Kurdish nation.”

Iraq is not “even ready to complete the procedures for the governorship of Halabja,” the statement read.

PM Barzani also re-emphasized the duty of the Kurdistan Regional Government to serve the people of Halabja.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stressed the importance of remembering the crimes committed against the Kurdish nation and urged that, “We must constantly remind the Iraqi government and the authorities in Baghdad of the monstrosity of the crimes committed against our people.”

“We must constantly remind them that they have an obligation to compensate the Kurdish people,” he insisted.

نابێت بهێڵین ئەم تاوانەمان لەبیربچێتەوە.#HalabjaGenocide pic.twitter.com/e7kPxpNNLZ
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) March 16, 2024

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, on Feb. 22, in a ceremony, laid the foundation stone for the Halabja-Tuwaqut-Qalija road and the Tuwaqut bridge.

During the ceremony, Prime Minister Barzani delivered remarks addressing outstanding issues in the Kurdistan Region.

The Prime Minister began his speech by expressing his happiness to lay the foundation stone for these projects and called Halabja “the city of martyrs.”