The National Day of Mass Graves commemorated in Nugra Salman

Kurdistan 12:58 PM - 2023-05-16

Photo from the ceremoney.

Relatives of Anfal victims from the Garmian Administration are commemorating the National Day of Mass Graves in Nugra Salman, Iraq's infamous desert prison near the Saudi border, where thousands of Kurds were imprisoned and executed.
 
Thousands of Kurdish people rounded up in the Anfal campaign and sent to the Nugra Salman prison were being tortured daily, exacerbating the institution's horrific atmosphere.

Mass Graves Day is commemorated in Nugra Salman for the first time

"According to the Iraqi government's decision issued in 2007, May 16 is the National Day of Mass Graves," Salar Mahmoud, head of the Kurdistan Genocide Writers Union (KGWU), told PUKMEDIA. "This year, relatives of Anfal victims, as well as several personalities, writers, and genocide experts, visited Nugra Salman Castle prison and honored the victims alongside the mass graves inside the castle in Samawa."
 
"This year's National Day of Mass Graves has unique characteristics because it is the first time that a group of Anfal victims is commemorating it as an occasion... This will become a yearly event outside of the Kurdistan Region and in southern Iraq so that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi government will take this day seriously and work per the law on mass graves to inspect, search, and locate mass graves and return the victims," Mahmoud said.

The government and relevant agencies should look into this case

Several other Arab dignitaries from Baghdad and Samawa have been invited to the event, and their attention will be drawn to the monuments, which are presently recognized as emblems of the victims. In addition to media outlets, the government and other relevant authorities are asked to pay attention to this issue.

"It is important to endeavor to mark the occasion realistically," he continued, "as this commemoration will focus attention on the monuments, which are currently seen as symbols of the victims."
 
 "The presentation of creative activities, exhibitions, plays, and talks in Arabic, Kurdish, and other languages is another aspect of this event at Nugra Salman Castle," he said.
 
"A number of other Arab dignitaries in Baghdad and Samawa have been invited to the ceremony, and some Baghdad lawmakers have pledged to attend," he stated. "This case is related to the genocide of our people, so we hope that not only media outlets but also the government and relevant agencies will pay attention to it."

Nugra Salman District Director: The PUK has always tried to return the bodies of the Anfal victims

Ali Khalaf, Nugra Salman District Director, stated to GK TV on the ceremonies: "There are many mass graves along the border, most of which are for Kurdish victims."
 
 "The PUK has always tried to return the bodies of the Anfal victims to their homeland at this stage and in the past under President Mam Jalal's leadership," he continued. "We appreciate the PUK's ongoing assistance with locating mass graves and returning the victims' corpses."

KGWU: Baath's crimes were dangerous

On the National Day of Mass Graves, the KGWU released a 10-point statement, it stated: "The mass graves in Iraq are proof of the conspiracy to exterminate the Kurdish people. The Ba'ath dictatorship in Iraq saw many deadly crimes committed."
 
The KGWU urged that many things be implemented to provide justice to the victims' families, including:
 
First: Opening the mass graves and returning the remains to their original areas.
 
Second: Searching for missing persons, determining their fate, and searching for other undiscovered mass graves.
 
Third: Accelerating mass grave preservation because climate change has a significant impact on the fate of mass graves
 
Fourth: Based on Article 6 of the Mass Graves Law, expediting the proper return of the victims' remains in special ceremonies and giving them over to their families.
 
Fifth: Construct suitable cemeteries and burials fit for the spirits of honorable martyrs.
 
Sixth: Creating a national entity devoted to the subject of genocide and concerned with mass graves.
 
Seventh: Conducting DNA tests on victims and their relatives as part of the identification procedure.
 
Eighth: Organizing national events in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on May 16 each year to commemorate Mass Graves Day and show gratitude to the victims.

Ninth: As a start, appropriate rituals are organized this year with the involvement of numerous relatives of martyrs and Anfal victims, so that these ceremonies can be held every year to honor this national day.
 
Tenth: Calling on all media outlets, political power centers, and other parties to pay attention to this day as a mark of respect and appreciation for genocide victims.

 

 

PUKMEDIA