Iraq Marks Feyli Martyrs’ Day, Renewing Calls to Protect Rights of Fayli Kurds

PUKMEDIA

Fayli's monument.

Iraq today marks Feyli Martyrs’ Day, commemorating the victims of decades of persecution against the Feyli Kurds and honouring their sacrifices.

The designation of 2 April as Feyli Martyrs’ Day was formalised by Iraqi Prime Minister, who has also pledged measures aimed at addressing long-standing issues facing the community. These include plans to establish a dedicated cemetery for Feyli martyrs, resolve citizenship and legal documentation cases, and support reconstruction efforts in historically affected areas in Diyala and Wasit.

The Feyli Kurds were subjected to systematic persecution beginning in the 1970s, when thousands were stripped of their Iraqi citizenship and forcibly expelled from their homes. Many families were displaced to Iran, while large numbers of young men were separated from their relatives and disappeared.

In 2014, the Iraqi Supreme Criminal Court convicted senior figures from the former Ba’ath regime for crimes committed against the Feyli Kurds, including killings, forced displacement, and denationalisation.

Today’s commemoration serves as a reminder of those atrocities and underscores ongoing calls to ensure justice, recognition, and equal rights for the Feyli Kurdish community as part of Iraq’s broader commitment to preventing the return of dictatorship.



PUKMEDIA