Iraq’s Hidden Tragedy: 221 Mass Graves, 96 from the Baath Regime Era Revealed
Ziya Karim, Director General of Mass Graves at the Martyrs Foundation, disclosed that Iraq contains at least 221 documented mass graves, with 96 dating back to the Baath regime era. Of these, 134 graves have been exhumed—80 from the Baath period and 54 from the ISIS era—while 87 remain unexcavated.
The total number of recovered remains now stands at 7,709, with 4,451 linked to the Baath regime and 3,258 from the ISIS period. Among the most harrowing sites is the Samawa desert, where mass graves of Kurdish women and children underscore the genocidal intent of Saddam Hussein’s policies.
The Kurdish population suffered immense persecution during Saddam’s rule, epitomized by the Halabja chemical attack in 1988, which killed over 5,000 civilians in one day. The Anfal genocide campaign (1986-1989) forcibly disappeared or executed more than 180,000 Kurds, with many still unaccounted for.
On the 37th anniversary of the Halabja attack, Kurdish leaders reiterated the Iraqi government’s responsibility to address these historical crimes. President Masoud Barzani emphasized the need for recognition of Halabja’s provincial status and compensation for survivors. Despite international acknowledgment of the Halabja attack as genocide, Iraq has yet to take substantial action to address the suffering of victims and their families.
