On Friday, August 25, 2023, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, issued a statement on the occasion of the thirty-fifth anniversary of the infamous Anfal campaigns in the Badinan region by the former Iraqi regime.

Here is the text of the statement:

"On the occasion of the thirty-fifth anniversary of the infamous Anfal campaigns in the Badinan region, we remember with reverence and admiration the victims of this heinous humanitarian crime committed by the former Iraqi regime, which aimed to eliminate the Kurdish people of Kurdistan and eradicate them with all their components.

These attacks and assaults constituted the dark chapters of the notorious Anfal campaigns, in which thousands of innocent civilians were killed, tens of thousands were displaced and uprooted, hundreds of villages were destroyed, and significant damage was inflicted on the region due to the use of prohibited weapons.

What is regrettable and concerning on this sorrowful occasion is the non-implementation of Article 132 of the Constitution so far, which relates to the compensation and justice for the victims of the former regime, including the families of the victims of the Anfal campaigns and all the other crimes committed by the Ba'athist regime.

The people of Kurdistan, especially the victims and families of the main victims of the former Iraqi regime, have legitimate rights to fair and deserving compensation, and to ensure that such genocides are not repeated against them in the future.

On the anniversary of the Badinan Anfal, we bow in respect and honor to the pure souls of the Anfal victims and all the martyrs and Anfal survivors in Kurdistan.

Masrour Barzani

Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region

8/25/2023"