Iraqi Presidency Commemorates 37th Anniversary of Halabja Tragedy

Iraqi Presidency

Iraqi President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid.

The Iraqi Presidency, under the patronage of President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid, observed a solemn moment of silence at Al-Salam Palace in Baghdad to mark the 37th anniversary of the chemical weapons attack on Halabja by the former regime.

The commemoration was attended by ambassadors and representatives from diplomatic missions in Baghdad, alongside presidential advisors, senior officials and staff from the Presidency of the Republic.

During the ceremony, Amir Al-Kinani, Advisor to the President, delivered a speech on behalf of the Presidency, reflecting on the heinous crimes committed by the Baath regime against the Iraqi people—including Arabs, Kurds and all other communities. He highlighted the atrocities of the Halabja massacre, the Anfal campaign, the mass graves, the targeted assassinations of intellectuals and scholars, and the brutal repression that followed the Shaaban uprising.

Al-Kinani underscored that the tragedy of Halabja remains one of the most horrific and deliberate attacks on the defenseless Kurdish population—an assault meticulously planned and executed with chilling precision. He emphasized that this crime, surpassing even some of the most notorious atrocities of the 20th century, constituted a grave violation of international law and the fundamental principles of the 1946 Raphael Lemkin Convention, established to prevent genocide.

He called upon the international community to take decisive action to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, end ongoing conflicts and work towards lasting peace and security in the region and beyond.

Furthermore, he reaffirmed Iraq’s national and moral duty to support the families of the victims, ensure they receive just compensation and hold those responsible accountable through legal means, regardless of how much time has passed. He also stressed the urgent need to rebuild the cities devastated by these atrocities, with a focus on essential services, development and infrastructure projects that will restore dignity and provide a foundation for a better future.

The full speech is as follows:

Presidential Speech on the 37th Anniversary of the Halabja Chemical Weapons Attack

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Distinguished guests,
Peace, mercy and blessings be upon you. Ramadan Kareem. May you always be in good health and prosperity.

Today, we solemnly commemorate the atrocities committed by the Baath regime against the Iraqi people—against Arabs, Kurds and all other communities. These heinous crimes, forever etched in history, include the genocide in Halabja and the Anfal campaign, the horrors of mass graves and the ruthless assassinations of scholars, intellectuals and national heroes. We also remember the Shaaban uprising—a moment of profound courage and defiance that helped break the chains of dictatorship. This uprising sent a powerful message to the world: the people of Iraq, united in their entirety, reject oppression in all its forms and remain steadfast in their pursuit of dignity, freedom and justice.

Honored guests,
Halabja stands as an enduring symbol of one of the most egregious crimes committed against the defenseless Kurdish people—an atrocity carried out with meticulous planning and unrelenting cruelty. Its brutality surpassed even some of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. In perpetrating this crime, the regime not only violated the core principles of humanity but also defied the very essence of the Raphael Lemkin Convention of 1946, established to prevent genocide. This was an act of inhumanity that remains a dark stain on human history.

The people of Halabja were not just victims of the regime’s reckless policies; they were victims of a deliberate disregard for international law and human rights.

This massacre was not an isolated incident but a chapter in a larger campaign of extermination—the Anfal—carried out between 1986 and 1989 in the Kurdistan Region. This merciless operation systematically targeted countless Kurdish villages and towns, reducing them to ruins, while tens of thousands of innocent civilians were slaughtered, forcibly disappeared or imprisoned. It remains one of the most horrific crimes against humanity—not only for the sheer loss of innocent lives but also for its calculated attempt to erase an entire people, stripping them of their identity, history and very existence.

But Halabja was not the only witness to this era of death and destruction. In Shaaban of 1991, the people of Iraq—rising from the heart of the central and southern regions—stood in defiance, only to face the horrors of mass graves. The regime’s war machine spared no one, indiscriminately slaughtering the young and old, men and women alike.

Defeat in war should have served as a lesson, but the regime refused to learn. The uprising came agonizingly close to achieving its goals, yet once again, foreign forces intervened, shielding the dictatorship and granting it another opportunity to tighten its grip—not only over the land but over the very soul of the Iraqi people.

Esteemed guests,
On this solemn anniversary, we must draw lessons from the past. We call upon the international community to take resolute action to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, to end wars and conflicts and to promote security and peace across the region and the world.

Our national and humanitarian duty compels us to support the families of the victims, provide them with just compensation and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable in a court of law. Justice must be fair and timely, regardless of how much time has passed. Furthermore, we must rebuild the cities devastated by these atrocities and implement vital development and infrastructure projects to restore dignity, progress, and prosperity to these communities.

We call upon all political forces to unite, strengthen national cohesion and promote peaceful coexistence among all Iraqis. Together, we must fortify the foundations of security and stability, advance development and reconstruction and ensure that essential services reach every citizen—fulfilling their aspirations for a better, more prosperous future.

We also urge the Iraqi Parliament to ratify the legislation designating Halabja as a governorate—honoring a city whose martyrs sacrificed their lives in the fight for freedom from tyranny. We implore all political factions to rally behind this cause, ensuring that the sacrifices made by the people of Halabja are duly recognized and commemorated.

May eternal mercy be granted to the martyrs of Halabja, the Anfal, the mass graves and all those who perished under Saddam’s brutal regime. Their legacy has outlived their oppressors. They are our martyrs, our symbols and our heroes—whom we honor today with the deepest pride and unwavering reverence.

We extend our heartfelt tribute to the souls of all Iraq’s martyrs. May Iraq and its people continue to rise with strength and resilience.

Peace, mercy and blessings be upon you all.




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