Death Sentence Issued Against ‘Butcher of Nugra Salman’ Accused in Anfal Atrocities

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) -Iraq’s High Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced Ajaj Hardan Ahmed al-Tikriti, widely known as the “Butcher of Nugra Salman,” to death by hanging over crimes linked to the Anfal campaign against Kurds under the former Baath regime.

The verdict was issued during the second hearing dedicated to al-Tikriti’s trial at the Rusafa Criminal Court in Baghdad on May 14, 2026, where judges announced the final ruling in the high-profile case.

Al-Tikriti served as a security official at the notorious Nugra Salman prison in 1988 and was accused of involvement in atrocities committed during the Anfal operations against Kurds.

According to information obtained by Kurdistan24’s correspondent in Baghdad, more than 3,000 Anfal detainees were imprisoned under his supervision at Nugra Salman prison, with more than 1,000 reportedly dying due to torture, starvation, and dehydration.

Allegations detailed in court

Court findings presented during the proceedings described multiple alleged abuses attributed to al-Tikriti during his tenure at the prison.

According to the court report, detainees’ bodies were allegedly thrown outside the prison to be eaten by stray dogs. The report also included accusations of sexual assault against women and girls, including a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly assaulted after being taken to clean al-Tikriti’s room.

During an earlier hearing, al-Tikriti attempted to deny involvement in several of the crimes attributed to him. However, the judge reportedly confronted him with evidence and previous statements in which he had described Anfal detainees as “Iranian people,” which prosecutors argued was used to

justify torture against Kurdish prisoners.

Decades in hiding

Ajaj Ahmed Hardan al-Tikriti became widely known as the “Butcher of Nugra Salman,” referring to the prison in Samawa where he oversaw detainees during Saddam Hussein’s rule.

After the fall of the Baath regime in 2003, he reportedly fled from Kirkuk to Syria and later settled in the Jaramana area near Damascus.

According to the information provided, al-Tikriti spent 38 years attempting to evade justice by undergoing cosmetic surgery, changing his name and appearance, and hiding in a remote village while working as a shepherd.

He was eventually arrested by Iraqi National Security forces on July 31, 2025, after decades linked to accusations of genocide and Anfal-related crimes against Kurds.

The ruling has been widely viewed as a major moment for families of Anfal victims and survivors of Nugra Salman prison, many of whom had waited decades for accountability and justice.

Updated on May. 14, 2026, at 12:41 pm.