Iraqi First Lady's Office Calls on Witnesses to Testify Against Ajaj Ahmed Hardan

PUKMEDIA

Ajaj Ahmed Hardan, a senior figure from the Ba’athist regime.

The Office of Iraqi First Lady, Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed, has issued a public call for all survivors and witnesses of crimes committed by Ajaj Ahmad Hardan—one of the key perpetrators in the Anfal campaign—to come forward and provide testimony. 

The call follows his recent arrest and aims to support legal proceedings being prepared against him.

In a statement released by the First Lady’s Office on Sunday, 3 August 2025, citizens who witnessed the actions of the accused during his time at Nugra Salman prison are requested to visit designated locations between Monday, 4 August, and Saturday, 9 August 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00.

The designated locations were: Amna Suraka National Museum in Sulaymaniyah, Garmyan General Directorate of Martyrs in Kalar district, and - Anfal Monument in Chamchamal district.

Earlier in the day, the Iraqi National Security Service (NSS) has confirmed the arrest of Ajaj Ahmed Hardan, also known as “Hajjaj of Nugra Salman,” one of the most notorious figures involved in the Anfal campaign. The arrest was carried out following a months-long intelligence operation, the NSS announced on Sunday.

In an official press statement, NSS spokesperson Arshad al-Hakim said that Hardan is currently under investigation.

“The arrested person is Ajaj Ahmed Hardan, nicknamed Hajjaj Nugra Salman,” said Hakim. “He confessed swiftly to the charges brought against him, particularly the crimes he committed against the Kurdish population. The investigation is now in its final stages.”

The NSS first announced the arrest on Friday, stating that Hardan—who had been on the run—was captured in Muthanna Governorate. The operation was the result of more than six months of intensive intelligence work, carried out by NSS detachments in Muthanna in coordination with security forces in southern Saladin Governorate.

According to the statement, Ajaj Ahmed Hardan previously held several high-ranking security posts under the former regime.

During his tenure, Hardan played a central role in overseeing mass executions and the burial of victims in mass graves. The NSS revealed that he committed a series of crimes against humanity, particularly targeting members of the Kurdish community who had been forcibly relocated to Muthanna during the Anfal campaign.

The statement detailed acts of torture, murder, and rape carried out within Nugra Salman Prison. For years, the accused’s family had falsely claimed he was deceased, in an attempt to evade justice. However, a thorough analysis of intelligence and cross-referencing with past testimonies eventually led to the identification of his whereabouts in Salah al-Din Governorate.

Following judicial authorisation and the documentation of testimonies from survivors and witnesses, Hardan was apprehended and handed over to the competent investigative authorities for legal proceedings.

The Ba'ath regime in Iraq, especially during Saddam Hussein’s rule, was responsible for grave human rights violations against its own population. Among the most notorious of these was the Anfal campaign, a genocidal military operation in the late 1980s that involved mass killings, forced displacement, and chemical attacks against the Kurdish population. 

The Ba'ath regime martyred over 180,000 Kurds, including women, children, and the elderly.

The regime also routinely suppressed dissent through arbitrary arrests, torture, and summary executions. Minority communities, including Kurds, Shiite Arabs, and others, were systematically persecuted, displaced, or expelled from their homes in efforts to consolidate power and enforce ideological control.



PUKMEDIA