Dozens of Witnesses Testify in First Hearing of Hajjaj Nugrat al-Salman Case

The court’s official accounts

The Rusafa Court in Baghdad.

The first hearing in the trial of Ajaj Ahmed Hardan al-Tikriti, known as the “Hajjaj of Nugrat al-Salman”, took place on Thursday, 7 May 2026, at the Rusafa Court in Baghdad. Dozens of Kurdish witnesses, including relatives of victims of the Anfal operations, were present. The court decided to adjourn proceedings until 14 May.

During the session, the court heard evidence from 25 witnesses and complainants concerning alleged crimes committed by al-Tikriti while he was in charge of Nugrat al-Salman prison, where victims of the Anfal campaign were detained in the 1980s.

A PUKMEDIA correspondent reported that 221 witnesses from Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, Duhok, Diyala and Salah al-Din attended to give testimony, alongside more than 300 registered complaints.

Hajjaj Nugrat al-Salman, has been one of the prison’s supervisors and is accussed to have committed severe crimes against detainees held at the facility in the Samawah desert, including torture and the killing of large numbers of Anfal victims, particularly women and children.

It is also reported that during the investigation he swiftly confessed to the charges, particularly those relating to crimes committed against Kurds.


PUKMEDIA