Saddam-Era Prison Chief Confesses to Starvation and Sexual Abuse of Kurdish Detainees During Anfal Campaign

Kurdistan 10:19 AM - 2025-08-21

Nugra Salman Prison.

The office of First Lady Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed has announced the arrest of Hajjaj Ahmed Hardan, known as Ajaj, a senior figure implicated in the Anfal atrocities under the former Ba’ath regime. Ajaj, who served as supervisor of the notorious Nugra Salman prison, confessed to committing some of the most appalling crimes against Kurdish and Arab detainees, including systematic torture, starvation, and executions.

First Lady’s Statement

In a statement, the First Lady declared: “Not a single day has passed without me standing alongside the families of the victims. I pledged that justice would be pursued, no matter how long it took, and that those whose hands were stained with the blood of our innocent women and children would face accountability. Today, we have succeeded in arresting Ajaj Ahmed Hardan, one of the most infamous criminals of Nugra Salman in the Samawah desert, where thousands of our women, children, and elderly were tortured, starved, and buried in silence.

“This man was notorious for his cruelty towards the Anfal martyrs and for the terror he inflicted upon their families. But now, after 37 years, he is no longer free to escape justice. I urge all former detainees, families of the Anfal victims, and relatives of the missing to submit legal complaints and testimonies, so that the full extent of his crimes may be revealed in court. I remain resolute in my commitment to this humanitarian and historic cause, and I will never abandon the memory of our martyrs nor the pursuit of truth and justice.”

Confessions of the Accused

According to reports of Al-Sabah newspaper, Ajaj openly admitted responsibility for the atrocities. He described how starvation and sexual violence were used as deliberate tools of mass extermination against Kurdish detainees. When he assumed control of Nugra Salman Prison in 1989, approximately 400 Arab detainees were removed and replaced by around 3,000 Kurdish detainees transferred from Sulaymaniyah and Erbil.

In his own words, Ajaj stated: “We used starvation as a weapon of war, no less deadly than bombardment. Two-thirds of the detainees perished within ten months.”

Born in Saladin Governorate, Ajaj graduated from the National Security College and served in several security directorates before being appointed as the prison’s general supervisor. His brutality earned him the nickname al-Ajaj among detainees.

Witness Testimonies

Survivors of the Anfal campaign welcomed the arrest. Dara Hama Ali, who was imprisoned in Nugra Salman, told PUKMEDIA:
“Ajaj was infamous for his crimes against detainees and their families. His arrest is a long-awaited moment for justice. This is not about revenge, but about truth. His confessions may help identify other perpetrators and bring them to justice. As a survivor, I was personally subjected to his cruelty, and I will be among the first to file a legal case against him.”

Another witness recounted: “I saw him personally beat women, children, and the elderly without mercy. Once, he beat an old man so savagely that we all thought he had died. He was a symbol of the regime’s barbarity.”

Crimes Against Humanity

The atrocities committed under Ajaj’s command at Nugra Salman Prison have been widely recognised as genocide and crimes against humanity. Thousands of Kurds perished through starvation, torture, and execution, while many were buried in mass graves in the deserts of southern Iraq.

The Anfal Campaigns

The Anfal operations, conducted between February and September 1988, comprised eight stages across Kurdistan. Entire regions were depopulated, villages destroyed, and civilians targeted in a systematic attempt to eradicate Kurdish society. More than 182,000 Kurds were killed, while countless others were displaced, imprisoned, or subjected to forced disappearance.

Today’s arrest of Ajaj Ahmed Hardan represents not only a crucial step in holding perpetrators to account but also a powerful reminder that justice, though delayed, cannot be denied.



PUKMEDIA