Iraq Exhumes 81 of 98 Confirmed Mass Graves, With 17 Sites Scheduled for Excavation
Dhiaa Karim, Director General of Iraq’s Mass Graves Affairs and Protection Department, provided the update in an interview with Kurdistan24, detailing the methodical progress of the years-long effort.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi authorities have excavated 81 of the 98 mass graves officially confirmed to be linked to the crimes of the former Ba'athist regime, with the remaining 17 sites already scheduled for excavation, a senior official announced Tuesday.
Dhiaa Karim, Director General of Iraq’s Mass Graves Affairs and Protection Department, provided the update in an interview with Kurdistan24, detailing the methodical progress of the years-long effort.
“Out of the 98 identified mass graves, 81 have been excavated, which includes 161 individual graves,” Karim stated. “So far, only 98 sites have been confirmed as mass graves related to the crimes of the Ba'ath regime, while 17 other sites remain to be excavated.”
He confirmed that comprehensive plans are in place to complete the work. “Mapping and planning for excavation have been completed,” Karim said, noting that the timeline for the remaining sites was organized in coordination with international partners and the national forensic office.
Despite this progress, the official underscored that the mission is far from over. Karim revealed that the number of graves found is still less than the number of recorded victims, driving a continued search for more sites using advanced techniques like aerial photography.
Linking the forensic work to justice, Karim called for the trials of the former regime's criminals to be resumed, stating it is crucial to help locate the many graves that have yet to be found.
The search for victims of the former regime has continued since 2003. The scale of the task is vast, with over 182,000 Kurds massacred during the Anfal campaign alone, and the graves of many individuals still unlocated.
President Masoud Barzani, on Tuesday, addressed the Fifth International Conference on the Recognition of the Kurdish Genocide.
The conference, a landmark collaboration between the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Health, was held at the University of Duhok. Its stated aim is to scientifically document the Anfal crimes and mass graves in order to build an unassailable case for global recognition.
