Ajaj Trial: Disturbing Testimonies as Nuqrat al-Salman “Executioner” Confesses to Crimes

PUKMEDIA

Defendant Ajaj Ahmed Hardan al-Tikriti, known as the “Executioner of Nuqrat al-Salman.”

The first session of the trial of Ajaj Ahmed Hardan al-Tikriti, known as the “Executioner of Nuqrat al-Salman,” was held last Thursday at the Rusafa Court in Baghdad. Dozens of Kurdish witnesses and relatives of victims of the Anfal campaign attended the proceedings. 

The court decided to adjourn the session until 14 May.

During the hearing, the court listened to testimonies from 25 witnesses and complainants regarding the crimes allegedly committed by Ajaj while he was in charge of Nuqrat al-Salman prison, where Anfal victims were detained in the 1980s.

In total, 221 witnesses from the governorates of Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, Duhok, Diyala, and Saladin attended the proceedings to provide testimony in the case, while more than 300 complaints have been registered.

Ajaj Ahmed Hardan al-Tikriti was supervising Nuqrat al-Salman prison, where, according to testimonies, some of the most severe abuses against humanity took place. The testimonies include torture and killing of a large number of detainees, including women and children.

The defendant admitted during earlier investigations to several of the charges, particularly those related to crimes against Kurdish detainees.

In emotionally charged testimony, one survivor described her ordeal, saying: “From the day I was released from that prison until this morning, I have not been able to eat bread in peace, because my two children, Malak Taher (11 years old) and Karwan Taher (4 years old), died of starvation before my eyes.”

Another witness described how a family tragedy coincided with the court session, saying he left his son’s wedding to attend the trial, adding: “Today is a day where joy and sorrow are intertwined; my son is a groom, but my country was subjected to Anfal. I came here to witness the trial of this torturer who inflicted suffering upon us 38 years ago.”

A further survivor recounted the destruction of her family, stating that her husband and two brothers were martyred during Anfal genocide, another brother was martyred in another incident, and her son was imprisoned alongside her. She said that during their imprisonment they were not even allowed to look at the defendant, adding: “Anyone who raised their eyes to him was subjected to severe torture. Today, after 38 years, I recognised him immediately. He is the same torturer who destroyed our lives.”

Victims and relatives also called for justice beyond the courtroom. One woman said: “My demand is that this executioner be handed over to us so that he can taste the bitterness of hunger and hardship he made us endure.”

The trial comes nearly four decades after the crimes, with victims’ families still seeking justice for the Anfal campaign. Ajaj Hardan was arrested on 30 July last year and has appeared before the Rusafa Court several times.

Legal representative of Anfal victims, lawyer Iyad Kakayi, said the plaintiffs had presented substantial evidence, noting that witness testimonies were consistent and complementary. He added that the court is expected to issue a final ruling in the coming days, particularly at the next session scheduled for 14 May.

Kakayi further stated that the courtroom session was delayed due to procedural preparations, preventing an immediate verdict. He also noted that the accused showed no signs of remorse and had testified against several officers, while his own formal statement has not yet been heard.

Qasim Kadhim, a relative of one of the victims, said: “Ajaj killed infants in their mothers’ arms,” adding that the area surrounding Nuqrat al-Salman has effectively become mass graves as a result of the atrocities committed.

He also commented on the judge’s remarks toward the defendant, saying the judge expressed anger and told him that all available evidence indicated his guilt, adding that relatives of victims felt a sense of relief at seeing one of the Anfal defendants held accountable in Baghdad.

The Anfal campaign, carried out by the Ba'ath regime of Saddam Hussein against Kurdish civilians, began on 22 February 1988 and continued until 6 September of the same year, resulting in the martyrdom of more than 182,000 people and the destruction of over 4,500 villages.

The campaign is widely regarded as one of the most devastating episodes of state-sponsored mass killing during Ba’athist rule in Iraq.

The campaign consisted of eight military phases involving the direct participation of multiple branches of the armed forces, including army corps based in Kirkuk and Erbil, the air force, special forces, the Republican Guard, intelligence agencies and units responsible for chemical and biological weapons, alongside other state institutions mobilised to carry out the operations.



PUKMEDIA