37 Years On, President Masoud Barzani Calls for Justice for Anfal Victims in Badinan

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region on Monday marked the 37th anniversary of the Anfal campaign in Badinan, one of the most tragic chapters in Kurdish history.

During the commemoration ceremony, President Masoud Barzani’s representative, Sidad Barzani, delivered a speech on his behalf, reflecting on the atrocities committed during the eighth phase of the Anfal campaign.

“August 25 is a bitter day in the history of the Kurdish people,” President Barzani stated. “Thirty-seven years ago, the Ba’ath regime escalated its crimes against the Kurdish population in Badinan. It mobilized all its military, intelligence, and air forces, bombing the region the day before to pave the way for a full-scale assault.”

He explained that the regime’s objective was not only to crush resistance but also to “erase all traces of life” in the area. Thousands went missing, while chemical attacks and mass displacement devastated entire communities.

Recalling the suffering, President Barzani described the Anfal as the most painful moment of his life. “I sent a letter to the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s first branch, and they replied: ‘The besieged masses [residents of Badinan] say they are ready to die here, but they will not surrender.’ This spirit was a source of pride for every Kurd and freedom fighter. No incident has caused me as much sorrow as this crime.”

The President also highlighted the continuing demand for justice. “Thirty-seven years on, we must ask: what has become of the perpetrators of these crimes? Have they been held accountable? The Iraqi government has a responsibility to compensate the families of the Anfal victims in Badinan and across all affected areas.”

He concluded by stressing ongoing efforts to repatriate the remains of the victims to their homeland, affirming that the memory of the Anfal will remain a permanent wound in Kurdish history until justice is achieved.

The 1988 campaign in the Badinan region saw more than 2,000-3,000 Kurdish men and women forcibly taken from Duhok province. The majority of them were murdered by the Ba'ath regime, and their remains have never been found.

The Badinan region is a reference to the area that speaks the Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish (also known as Badini).

The Anfal campaign was a series of genocidal attacks carried out by the Iraqi regime against the Kurdish population in the late 1980s. Led by Saddam Hussein's cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali," the campaign involved the use of chemical weapons, mass executions, and the destruction of villages. The campaign resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Kurds and is considered one of the most brutal atrocities of the 20th century.