Verdict of the Iraqi High Criminal Court on the Anfal Genocide
The ruling of the Iraqi High Criminal Court on the Anfal case spans 963 pages, derived from the contents of 43 box files, which include thousands of documents, testimonies of investigators and witnesses, audio and video tapes, and over ten forensic reports including DNA analyses of mass graves from the Hazar and Samawah regions. The verdict begins by referencing the legal foundations of the Nuremberg Tribunal (1950) and elaborating on the structure and legal basis of the Iraqi High Criminal Court, parts of which have been published.
After the fall of the Ba’ath regime in 2003, the Anfal case was officially opened by the Iraqi High Criminal Court on August 21, 2006. Following 61 trial sessions, on June 24, 2007, the court issued a verdict recognizing the Anfal campaign as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The ruling outlined the severity of these crimes, committed during the Anfal operations. However, to this day, no full justice has been delivered, and the families of victims have received neither material nor moral reparation.
Saddam Hussein attended only 33 sessions and was prosecuted solely for the Dujail case. His testimonies regarding the Anfal case were not formally included, which represents a major legal, moral, and historical oversight concerning Kurdish victims.
The Anfal genocide, carried out by the Iraqi state during the Ba’ath regime from February to September 1988 across all parts of Kurdistan, indiscriminately targeted Kurds regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or age. The campaign resulted in massive destruction, looting, and the annihilation of over 182,000 people.
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