Barzanis Genocide
• Operations of Arrest, Killing, and Disappearing of Barzanis
The Iraqi government has committed various crimes against the Kurdish people throughout history. During its 35 years of rule, it has never hesitated to commit crimes against Iraqi communities, including Kurds, Yazidis, Christians, Jews, and Shiites. One of these crimes was the genocide of the Barzanis.
In 1975, the Algiers Agreement was signed with coordination between Iraq and Iran, with the cooperation of the Algerian president, and the secret involvement of Russia and the United States. This agreement resulted in the forced migration of thousands of people to neighboring countries, and the Ba’ath regime bombed and destroyed villages and cities and issued orders for the execution and killing of hundreds of people. At the same time, the Ba’ath regime began a widespread forced deportation of all those who remained in Kurdistan, especially the Barzanis, to southern Iraq. These individuals were under intense surveillance by security and intelligence agencies and lived in harsh conditions in the Iraqi desert, losing hundreds of lives.
In 1980, while the Ba’ath regime was deporting and committing genocide against the Faili Kurds, they relocated the Barzanis from the south back to Erbil province, intending to find a pretext to destroy the Barzanis.
In 1983, in the aftermath of the Hajji Omaran-Gerdmand battles that resulted in a significant defeat for Saddam Hussein’s regime in the opposite of the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) led by Barzani, this major betrayal by Saddam Hussein was perceived as an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to the Barzanis.
In a series of attacks in Baghdad and Erbil province in late July and early August 1983, according to documents, “arresting, killing, and making Barzanis disappear” began on a large scale.
Based on official documents, at the request of the Director of General Security, Dr. Fazel al-Barak, a large and secret force was formed in late July and early August 1983, led by Lieutenant Abdul Mohsen Khalil and Lieutenant Khair Daud Jal Miran. They planned to station these forces near the Barzani camps. Simultaneously, the Republican Guard forces secretly surrounded the camps, and then they initiated the three stages of arresting the Barzanis.
First stage: On July 31, 1983, Barzanis in Qushtapa were arrested in two forced labor camps, Quds and Qadsiya, in Erbil province.
Second stage: On August 10, 1983, Barzanis were arrested in the Harir community of Shaqlawa district, Diyana community of Rawandz area, Bahrka community of Erbil province, and Mergasur villages of Zebar area.
Stage 3: On October 1, 1983, they conducted house-to-house inspections in the camps and arrested those who had escaped.
There are Numerous Documents Related to the Barzani Genocide.
What further confirms these facts is the official letter 84 from the Director of Public Security on March 29, 1989, sent to the Secretary of the Presidency. The letter confirms that, at your request, the following information about the Harir district in Erbil Governorate is available to us. In July 1983, during the attack of the Iranian-Zionist enemy on the Hajj umran sector, the participation of the treasonous group, which is known to be mostly Barzanis, was confirmed. The former Director of Public Security issued a directive. Dr. Fadel Al-Barrak »to the Security Directorate of the Autonomous Area to form a large force from the headquarters and directorates of the Security of the Autonomous area and surround it’s with general secrecy to be ready at dawn the next day, as it began on 1/8/1983 with a military force from the Republican Guard to cover the complexes of » Qudes, Qadisiyah, Qushtapa, which is designated for the residence of Barzani families, and all the male Barzanis were arrested, except for those under the age of (15). They were transported in large cars prepared from Baghdad, accompanied by the military force.
This document mentions: “In the Harir community, 403 people from the Barzani tribe, including Shirwani and Mazouri, were arrested due to their connection with the Peshmerga forces.” They were sentenced to execution for their crimes.
Similarly, in Diyana, Bahrka, and the villages of Mergasur, the Barzanis were arrested and handed over to a force consisting of employees of the Baghdad Security Office and the Erbil Security Office.
Sixteen crimes were committed on 667 people sent to the Revolutionary Court and sentenced to execution there.
Another 2,225 people who could not be identified were sent to Busea in Muthanna Governorate in early August.
This document confirms their execution; no information should be given to their families.
This document states that on August 24, 1987, the Secretary-General of the Presidency issued an official letter with the number 2651/K, ordering that a third party may contact all relevant bodies and authorities regarding the Barzani issue.
So, the answer to any question regarding this issue should be: “Only the Presidency is aware of this problem because it is a political problem and much larger than the problem of these families.”
After the arrest and disappearance of the Barzanis, Saddam Hussein declared in a meeting with the people of Erbil: “Anyone who betrays the country, we will eradicate them. Those known as Barzanis” were sent to hell. In this speech, broadcast on television, he spoke very openly about the Genocide of the Barzanis. (hawkari newspaper no 704. on 15/9/1983).
The Ba’ath regime seems to have wanted to avenge its defeat in the battle of Haji Umeran and Grdmand, which the Peshmerga forces led by Barzani defeated. He committed genocide against Barzani’s civilians in the areas under his control.
In the Barzani genocide 1983, 8,000 Barzani men, including 315 juveniles, were killed in all stages of the mass killings.
Mass graves of the Barzanis were discovered in the Busea desert in southern Iraq. They were returned to Kurdistan in three stages.
Five hundred twelve bodies were on October 16, 2005, 93 on March 6, 2014, and 100 on July 30, 2023.
The Barzani Genocide Case
The Barzani genocide case was referred to the Supreme Criminal Court of Iraq in 2010 and received a genocide ruling in 2011. Still, the Iraqi Parliament and government have not officially approved it.
The approval by the Iraqi government has failed to compensate the families of the victims of the Barzani genocide. This issue must be addressed, as the affected families deserve recognition, justice, and support.