A Timeline of 100 Years of Crimes Against the Kurds and Minorities in Iraq

As part of the KGNA archival project, the result of over 26 years of dedicated research and documentation on genocide and state-sponsored atrocities against the Kurdish nation, this timeline stands as a core element of the site’s historical narrative. It is based on official records, oral testimonies, and international legal evidence, covering a century of systematic persecution in Iraq.

From 1920 to 2003, successive Iraqi governments—most notably under the Ba'ath regime—committed a wide range of grave crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, against the Kurdish people and other ethnic and religious minorities. These crimes involved forced displacements, ethnic cleansing, chemical attacks, military operations against civilians, and the destruction of Kurdish villages and communities.

This timeline is more than a record of the past; it serves as a living document in the pursuit of transitional justice, collective memory, and public awareness. Available in Kurdish, Persian, English, and Arabic on the KGNA website, this timeline is supported by original sources, images, and verified documents—providing scholars, legal experts, victims’ families, and future generations with a deeper understanding of the roots and consequences of these atrocities.

The core purpose of this timeline is not merely to chronicle crimes against the Kurds and minorities, but to systematically document a century of violence, discrimination, and structural destruction carried out by successive Iraqi governments. At its heart, this is a project aimed at confronting the persistent denial of Kurdish national existence and the assault on Iraq’s ethnic and religious diversity. From both legal and historical perspectives, this work contributes to truth-telling, challenges collective amnesia, and provides a foundation for national and international justice, within the broader framework of transitional justice and collective memory.

Crimes of the Ba'ath Regime within the Framework of the Kurdistan National Genocide Archive
1968 - 2003

Surya, Duhok
The Surya Village Massacre in Duhok
1969
Dakan
Dekan Cave Massacre
1969
Baghdad
Forced Displacement of Fayli Kurds
1969
Kurdistan
Forced Displacement, Killings, and Exile (Suppression of the September Revolution)
1974-75
Qaladze
Bombing of Qaladze
1974
Halabja
Bombing of Halabja
1974
Iraq
Genocide Against Fayli Kurds
1979-90
Barzan
Genocide Against Barzani Kurds
1983
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Ziwa, Iran
Bombing of the Zewe Refugee Camp of Kurdish Refugees in Iran
1985
Kani Ashqan
Kani Ashqan Massacre
1987
Halabja
Halabja Chemical Genocide
1988
Kurdistan
Anfal Genocide
1987-88
SayedSadegh
Genocide Through Forced Eviction and Mass Displacement of Sayid Sadiq
1988
Pshdar
Genocide Through Forced Eviction and Mass Displacement of Pshdar
1989
Kurdistan
Chemical Bombing of Various Regions in Kurdistan
1983-88
Iraq
Ethnic Cleansing
1968-2003
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Kurdistan
Enforced Disappearances and Abductions
1968-2003
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Kurdistan/Iraq
Kurdish Uprising - Southern Iraq (Shaaban Uprising)
1991

Chemical Bombing of Eastern Kurdistan During the Iran-Iraq War
1987 - 1988

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Sardasht
Chemical Attack on Sardasht
1987,6,28
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Kermashan
Chemical Attack on Hawraman Region (Nodshe)

1988,3,17 * 1988,3,24 * 1988,4,2

1987,6,28
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Sanandaj
Chemical Attack in Sine Province, Including Villages (Deranakh, Zakariya, the Border Route Between Dezli and Biyekara)
1988,3,17
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Mariwan
Chemical Attack on Villages Near Mariwan (Nejmaro, Balak, Ney, Degasheykhan)
1988,3,22
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Kermashan
Chemical Attack on Kermanshah Province, Dalaho Area, Zarda Village
1988,7,10
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Kermashan
Chemical attack on Hawarakhul Camp in Baneh
1988,7,22

Crimes Against Kurds During the Monarchical Era
1920 - 1958

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Sulaymaniyah
Crime Against Slemani (Black September)
1930
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Haqqah
Crime Against Haqqah
1930
Barzan
Massacre Against Barzanis
1931-36
Sinjar
Massacre Against Barzanis
1933
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Iraq
Genocide Against Assyrians
1933
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Iraq
Forced Displacement of Fayli Kurds
1936
Barzan
Massacre Against Barzanis
1942-45

Crimes During the First and Second Republics Against Kurds
1958 - 1968

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Kurdistan
Ethnic Cleansing and Propaganda of War
1959-63
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Kurdistan
Genocide Against the Kurdish People by the National Guard
1963
Kurdistan
Massacre of the Kurdish People
1964-68