President Barzani Urges Baghdad and European Nations to Recognize the Anfal Crimes as Genocide and Deliver Justice to Victims
ARK News.. President Masoud Barzani has called on the Iraqi government to assume its legal and moral responsibilities and fulfill its duty toward delivering justice to the victims of the Anfal campaign, while also urging European countries that have investigated these crimes to officially recognize the atrocities committed against the Kurdish people as acts of genocide.
Speaking at the Conference on the Kurdish Genocide held at Duhok University on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, President Barzani said: “Throughout history, the destiny of the people of Kurdistan has been one of pain, suffering, and injustice. But what matters most is that future generations never forget the genocidal campaigns endured by their ancestors.”
Welcoming Arab guests in Arabic, President Barzani expressed appreciation for their solidarity, stating: “I am pleased to be among you today at this important conference on the genocide in Kurdistan. Your presence reflects your compassion and your sharing in our grief. The images documenting these crimes pierce the heart — may God have mercy on the martyrs and grant patience to their families.”
Opening his address, he noted: “The people of Kurdistan have long endured hardship and persecution, particularly in the last century, when the genocide against our people began in an organized and systematic manner, starting with the Fayli Kurds.” He revealed that large numbers of Fayli and Barzani Kurds were forcibly relocated to Akashat and Al-Qaim, where chemical weapons were tested on them.
President Barzani emphasized that since the Kurdish people gained self-governance, they have never sought revenge, even during the 1991 uprising, when two Iraqi army corps fell into the hands of Kurdish civilians and Peshmerga forces: “Not a single Iraqi soldier was harmed or humiliated — even though they were the same soldiers who destroyed more than 4,500 of our villages and carried out the Anfal campaigns.”
He continued: “We lost many of our loved ones, but they departed with honor and achieved martyrdom. Those who committed those crimes perished in disgrace and shame.” Barzani stressed that the most important duty today is to prevent the repetition of such atrocities against the Kurdish people, and to ensure that no innocent person is ever targeted simply for being Kurdish.
He thanked the parliaments of Sweden and the United Kingdom and all nations that have recognized the Anfal crimes as genocide, urging other European countries to do the same: “Although the Iraqi Parliament recognized the Anfal as genocide in 2008, no practical steps have been taken since.
The federal government must compensate the families of the victims.” Looking ahead, Barzani expressed hope that the post-election political environment in Iraq would bring greater stability and adherence to the constitution: “If the constitution governs relations between Erbil and Baghdad, and between citizens and their government, we will have no problems. But if personal whims dictate decisions, our problems will persist and worsen.”
President Barzani concluded by reaffirming the Kurdish people’s spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, saying: “Nowhere else in the world has a government used chemical weapons against its own people — except in Kurdistan. Yet our people chose peace over revenge. Still, it is our duty never to forget these crimes and to teach future generations the price of the freedom we now enjoy.” He reiterated his call on the federal government to uphold its constitutional and moral obligations: “The constitution mandates compensation for the victims. The Kurdistan Regional Government will continue to coordinate and work to ensure this promise is fulfilled.”
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