Kurdistan Region President Welcomes Death Sentence for Ajaj al-Tikriti, Calls Verdict Victory for Justice

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday welcomed the Iraqi court’s decision to sentence former Nugra Salman Prison head Ajaj al-Tikriti to death, describing the ruling as “a victory for justice” for the victims of the Anfal campaign and their families.

In a statement posted on X, Barzani said the sentencing of al-Tikriti, whom he described as “the executioner of Nugra Salman Prison,” provides “some consolation” to the families of the Anfal victims and sends a strong message that crimes committed against the Kurdish people “will never be forgotten.”

“I extend my gratitude to the judges, lawyers, courageous witnesses, and all those who contributed to bringing this criminal to justice," the Kurdistan Region President stated.

The Kurdistan Region president stressed that the ruling reaffirmed that “the desire for rights and life is stronger than all forms of oppression and brutality,” adding that justice would eventually reach those responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity.

Barzani also renewed calls on the Iraqi federal government to fulfill its obligations toward the victims of the Anfal campaign by providing both material and moral compensation. The Anfal campaign was officially recognized as genocide by the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal.

The statement came after the tribunal on Thursday sentenced Ajaj al-Tikriti to death by hanging over crimes linked to the Anfal operations carried out against Kurds under the former Ba’ath regime.

Barzani concluded his statement by honoring the memory of the victims, saying: “May the memory of the martyrs of Anfal and all the martyrs of Kurdistan be forever honored, and may their souls rest in peace.”

Ajaj Ahmad Hardan al-Tikriti, widely referred to as the “executioner of Nugra Salman Prison,” is from the Al-Bu Nasir tribe of the Nizar clan. He served as one of the prison supervisors at Nugra Salman Prison in Muthanna province during the rule of Saddam Hussein and is accused of involvement in the Anfal campaign, which targeted Kurdish civilians in 1988.

Following the fall of the Ba’ath regime in 2003, Ajaj reportedly fled Kirkuk and later settled in Jaramana near Damascus, Syria. According to reports, two of his sons, who were affiliated with al-Qaeda, were killed in clashes in the Zlu'iya area near Salahaddin province.

Nearly 37 years after the Anfal genocide, Ajaj al-Tikriti was arrested on July 31, 2025, by the Iraqi National Security Service.