16 Years On, Iraq Still Silent On Compensating Anfal Victims' Families

Iraq 06:19 PM - 2023-06-24

A relative of Anfal victims along with the victims and their graves.

It has been 35 years since the Anfal crime and 16 years since the Iraqi Supreme Criminal Tribunal recognized and declared the Anfal crime genocide. Despite being required to do so by the same court, the Iraqi government has been unable to compensate the families of Anfal victims.

 

Families of the victims have not received compensation for Anfal after 16 years of its designation as a genocide

Karim Shkur, a member of the PUK faction in the Iraqi parliament, told PUKMEDIA that "unfortunately, the families of the victims have not been compensated after 16 years of the infamous Anfal process being recognized as genocide by the Iraqi Supreme Criminal Tribunal; furthermore, there is no provision in the Iraqi budget bill for this compensation."

Even though there is no provision in the budget bill for compensating the families of Anfal victims, the necessary funds can be added to the budget of the Iraqi Martyrs' Foundation, according to Shkur, "if the Kurds in Baghdad agree on national issues, especially an issue like Anfal."

Compensation has been formally requested several times

The families of the Anfal victims are entitled to compensation from the Iraqi government; however, this obligation has not yet been met, and the government has remained silent.

According to Habil Ahmed, director of the Anfal Monument in Halabja, the Iraqi government is required by law to compensate the families of the Anfal victims. However, it has been unable to do so despite repeated official requests for compensation.

"35 years after the inhumane disaster, the Iraqi government is still not facing restitution obligations. "Although the Iraqi Supreme Criminal Court has officially declared the crime of Anfal genocide and the Iraqi government is obligated to provide compensation, the issue of compensation for the victims' families has not been resolved, as have all other disputes between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad," Ahmed told PUKMEDIA.

The Iraqi Supreme Criminal Tribunal enacted Law No. 10 of 2005 after Saddam Hussein's dictatorship fell in 2003, which mandates that anybody who committed crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, or violations of Iraqi law after July 17, 1968, will be prosecuted.

The Anfal case trial began on August 21, 2006, and ended on June 24, 2007. During 61 sessions, seven Ba'athist commanders were sentenced. The crimes were determined to be crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide, and reparation was agreed upon for the victims.

Several documents and images were used as evidence to prosecute and convict former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan Al-Majid, Hashim Sultan Ahmad, Ali Hussein Rashid, Saber Al-Duri, Farhan Mutlaq Juburi, and Tahir Al-Ani for the 182,000 killings that occurred during the Anfal process.

 

PUKMEDIA