Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), has urged the federal government of Iraq to provide compensation to Faili Kurds as they commemorate the 44th anniversary of their genocide under Saddam Hussein’s regime.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Barzani emphasized the enduring suffering of Faili Kurds who faced decades of persecution and oppression due to their staunch support for Kurdish revolutions and liberation movements.

Barzani urged the Iraqi government to take concrete steps to address the historical injustices suffered by Faili Kurds, including the restoration of confiscated property and the provision of compensation to victims and their families. He called for official acknowledgment of the atrocities committed against them.

During Saddam Hussein's authoritarian rule, hundreds of thousands of Faili Kurds were forcibly expelled from their homes, stripped of their identity cards, and witnessed thousands of youth disappearing without a trace.

The previous Iraqi regime, more than four decades ago, arbitrarily stripped thousands of Faili Kurds of their citizenship and seized their properties on the basis of their distinct ethnic identity and their defense of their national and cultural rights as indigenous citizens of Iraq.

Barzani's call for justice and recognition for Faili Kurds comes as a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggle for reconciliation and restitution for past atrocities committed against Kurdish communities in Iraq. It underscores the importance of addressing historical grievances to pave the way for a more inclusive and just society in Iraq.