Second Hearing Opens for Ajaj al-Tikriti, Accused of Atrocities During Saddam’s Anfal Offensive
Iraqi authorities are expected to hear formal testimony from Ajaj al-Tikriti, a former prison official accused of involvement in Anfal-era crimes against Kurds
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iraq’s High Criminal Court is set to hold the second hearing Thursday morning in the trial of Ajaj Ahmed Hardan al-Tikriti, a former official of the notorious Nugra Salman prison accused of involvement in crimes committed during the Anfal campaign against Kurds.
The session, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, is expected to include formal testimony from the defendant, with the court recording his statements and responses to the charges.
Eyad Kakeyi, lawyer for victims of the Anfal campaign, told Kurdistan24 that the court would officially hear al-Tikriti’s testimony during Thursday’s proceedings.
Kakeyi also indicated that, given the weight of the evidence and the apparent readiness of the case file, the judge could potentially issue a final ruling on the defendant’s fate during the same session.
The latest hearing follows a previous court decision issued on May 7, 2026, when the Rusafa Court postponed proceedings until May 14 after hearing testimony from 25 witnesses.
According to Kurdistan24’s correspondent in Baghdad, al-Tikriti denied involvement in some of the alleged crimes committed at Nugra Salman prison during the first hearing.
The correspondent added that many attendees inside the courtroom spoke about crimes they alleged were committed by al-Tikriti during his tenure at the prison.
Al-Tikriti, whose full name is Ajaj Ahmed Hardan al-Tikriti, became widely known as the “Butcher of Nugra Salman,” a reference to the prison in Samawa where he served as one of the officials overseeing detainees during the former Baath regime.
He is accused of involvement in the Anfal campaign carried out in 1988 against Kurds.
Following the fall of the Baath regime in 2003, al-Tikriti reportedly fled from Kirkuk to Syria, where he later settled in the Jaramana area near Damascus.
According to the information provided, he has three sons, two of whom were members of al-Qaeda and were killed during clashes in the Zlulia area near Salahaddin.
After 37 years linked to accusations of genocide and Anfal-related crimes against Kurds, Iraqi National Security forces arrested al-Tikriti on July 31, 2025.