PM Barzani Commemorates Halabja Victims on 38th Anniversary of Chemical Attack

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday issued a message marking the 38th anniversary of the chemical attack on the city of Halabja, calling on Iraq’s federal government to fulfill its legal and constitutional responsibilities toward the victims’ families and to ensure compensation for those affected.

In the statement, PM Barzani commemorated the victims of the attack and emphasized the enduring significance of the event in Kurdish history, describing it as a defining moment that continues to shape collective memory in the Kurdistan Region.

“On the 38th anniversary of the Halabja Genocide, we honor the martyrs of this atrocity: a chemical attack against the people of Kurdistan.,” PM Barzani said in the message.

The prime minister stated that the chemical bombardment remains a “deep wound” in the historical experience of the Kurdish people and stands as a symbol of the oppression they endured. According to the statement, the memory of the attack continues to hold significance not only for the people of Kurdistan but also in the broader context of humanity’s remembrance of atrocities.

“The chemical bombardment of Halabja remains a deep wound in our history and a clear, prominent symbol of the tyranny and oppression carried out against the people of Kurdistan,” PM Barzani said.

PM Barzani stressed that the crime against Kurdistan should remain firmly embedded in public memory, warning against forgetting the events that led to the deaths of thousands of civilians. He said remembrance is necessary both to honor the victims and to safeguard the achievements that have been realized in the Kurdistan Region in the decades since.

“This barbaric crime must never be forgotten in the memory of the people of Kurdistan and humanity,” PM Barzani said in the statement.

He also highlighted the connection between the region’s present-day political and institutional developments and the sacrifices made during periods of repression and violence against Kurdish communities.

“We must always remember that today’s achievements are the fruits of immense sacrifices, and we must protect them in every way,” he said.

In the message, the prime minister used the anniversary to reiterate a call directed at the federal government in Baghdad, urging it to implement what he described as its legal and constitutional obligations toward the victims of past campaigns carried out under the former Iraqi regime.

PM Barzani said the federal authorities must ensure that the relatives of those killed in Halabja, as well as victims of other campaigns such as the Anfal operations, receive appropriate recognition and compensation.

“We once again remind the federal government of its legal and constitutional responsibility to fairly compensate the victims of the Halabja Genocide, the Anfal Genocide, and all other victims of the former Iraqi regime,” he said.

The prime minister concluded his message by paying tribute to those killed in the attack and to others who lost their lives during periods of repression targeting Kurdish communities.

“We bow in respect and reverence to the pure souls of the martyrs of Halabja and all the martyrs of Kurdistan,” PM Barzani said.

The statement forms part of the Kurdistan Region’s annual commemorations marking the anniversary of the Halabja chemical attack, which remains one of the most significant historical events in the region’s collective memory.