Sardasht Chemical Attack – 1987
On the evening of June 28, 1987, Iraqi Ba’ath regime warplanes targeted the border city of Sardasht and the nearby village of Rashehrmeh with banned chemical weapons containing mustard gas. This marked one of the first times a civilian urban area in Iran was targeted by chemical weapons during the Iran–Iraq War. Prior to this, ten civilian villages in Iraqi Kurdistan—including Sheikh Wasan and Balisan in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok provinces—had also been bombarded with chemical agents by the Ba’ath regime, killing hundreds of innocent civilians.
Civilian Casualties and Lasting Consequences
In the first hours of the attack, 10 people were killed and more than 650 severely injured. Over 8,000 residents of the area were exposed to the toxic gas. In total, the death toll reached 130 individuals, including 109 civilians and 21 soldiers. Among the victims were 39 people under the age of 18, including 11 children under five, and 34 women and girls.
The mustard gas caused severe burns to the skin, respiratory system, and eyes, with long-term effects such as immune system suppression, chronic respiratory illness, and reproductive disorders. Many survivors still suffer from untreated chronic health conditions.
Judicial Efforts and Obstacles
In 2004, the Tehran Public Court declared the Iraqi Ba’ath regime responsible for the Sardasht attack and also held the United States accountable for its military and technical support. The court ordered $600 million in compensation, and the ruling was officially issued through the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which represents U.S. interests.
Following the fall of the Ba’ath regime and the establishment of the Iraqi High Criminal Court, Sardasht survivors submitted their case. However, the court, founded under Law No. 10 of 2005 to prosecute Ba’ath-era crimes, rejected the Sardasht file, claiming it fell “outside the territory and jurisdiction of Iraq.”
At the international level, the Sardasht attack was mentioned during the 2005 trial in the Netherlands of Frans van Anraat, a Dutch businessman who supplied Iraq with chemical weapon components. On January 1, 2005, a Sardasht survivor, Qader Moulanpour (known as Mam Qader), who lost his entire family in the attack, testified and recounted his story, later serving as the inspiration for the 2020 film Dergoza.
Justice Denied, Pain Continued
To date, only about 1,500 survivors have been officially registered as chemical victims, though estimates suggest nearly 8,000 were exposed and injured. Reports of corruption and mismanagement have surfaced regarding the registration process. Despite annual commemorations and symbolic mourning, real legal justice remains elusive.
Conclusion
The Sardasht chemical attack was a grave crime against humanity that remains unresolved at both national and international levels. Courts, human rights bodies, and governments have yet to deliver justice to the victims’ families. This crime stands as a moral test for the global conscience in confronting the brutal legacy of Iraq’s Ba’ath regime and its use of chemical warfare.
References
[1]: Kurdistan Genocide National Archive – KGNA (https://kgna.krd/ku/12644)
[2]: Sardasht Chemical Victims Research Center – Urmia University of Medical Sciences
[3]: WHO Report on Long-term Effects of Sulfur Mustard, 2009
[4]: Tehran Public Court Ruling, published via Payvand News Archive, 2004
[5]: Iraqi High Criminal Court – Law No. 10 of 2005
[6]: Frans van Anraat Trial, Netherlands – Hearing on 1 December 2005
[7]: Martyrs Foundation & Iranian Parliamentary Research Center Report, 2020
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