FINAL DECLARATION
The chemical attacks against the Kurdish Nation: a genocidal act
1. In order to prepare comprehensive dossiers about the policies that have been taken place from former Iraqi regimes against the Kurds since 8th of February 1963 and particularly since the establishment of the Ba’athi party, we underline the following policies that have been taken against the Kurds:
a. The policy of changing the Kurdish ethnic identity under the name of (citizenship correction) through which Kurdish Yizidi ethnic identity has changed along with Goiy, Homary, Hasaey and thousands of the Kurdish Fayli. This is with an aim to reduce the Kurdish ethnic majority in the region.
b. To kill a big number of the Kurdish Fayli and taken them out from their territory, occupying their property by claiming that they are Iranians and hence not Iraqi nationals.
c. To fire Kurds from important job positions, according to the regime’s assessment, this includes positions that were considered to be sensitive and hence to not be accessible to the Kurdish population.
d. Forced replacement of thousands of Kurds from Kirkuk, Khanaqin, Mandali and Musel to the various places in the southern part in Iraq. This ethnic cleansing policy included of occupying Kurds’ property in cases they would choose to move to Kurdish resident places such as; Erbil, Sulaimaniyah and Duhok.
e. To destroy more than 4, 000 villages in the Kurdish resident territories and disappearance of more than 182, 000 Kurds, some Kurdish women were sold to Arab states, from different military attacks that took place during the Anfal campaign from 19th February to 6th September 1988. This campaign conducted by the Ba’athi regime against the Kurds that formed 5 % of the Iraqi population from that time.
f. To destroy various cities and smaller towns with an aim of abolishing economic flourishing in the Kurdish regions. Simultaneously, forcing population of destroyed place to live in special camps under the regimes control. These smaller towns are, for instance: Penjewin, Saydsadeq, Qaladeze, Qaradakh and other places.
g To disappear more than 8, 000 Barzani Kurds in two campaigns that took place one in 31st July 1983, and the other in 10th August 1983.
h. 298 mass graves throughout the Iraq and 33 of others have been discovered in Kerkuk region.
i. Chemical attacks in regions, such as in Cafeyetie valley in 15th April 1987 through which a big number of inhabitants were injured. In Khoshnawati region ( Shekh Wastan and Balisan) between 16th April – 27th May 1987, from two attacks more than 200 inhabitants were killed and a big number of people were either injured or disappeared due to the mentioned attacks. In Qaradakh region (Sewsenan, Jafaran w Sarko) that in 7th May 1987 and 22nd March 1988 were attacked with chemical weapons through which in Sewsanan 68 inhabitants have lost their life and more than 100 people were injured. Halabja city suffered the most from these crimes, when on 16th March 1988 the city, the bombed region included Serdest at North and outh Behdinan at North, was attacked with chemical weapons and more than 5 000 inhabits became the victim of this attack and more than 10 000 people were injured. In 18th March 1988, Cafeyeti and Hosnavathi regions were bombed. Also, the chemical attack in Goptapa on 3rd May 1988 cost the life of 154 inhabitants and dozens of people were injured or disappeared through this attack.
2. To document the investigations and decisions that were issued from the Iraqi and the Dutch courts regarding these cases that were convicted or cancelled.
3. The Iraqi High Criminal Court needs to recognize the aforementioned chemical attacks as an act of genocide, since these attacks took place systematically with an intention of ethnic cleansing.
4. The Iraqi High Criminal Court need to decide for mental and material compensation for victims that suffered from the aforementioned attacks, to provide medical support for these that still suffer from these attacks, and to compensate the Kurds as a nation that suffered from crimes against humanity.
5. The Iraqi parliament needs to accept the decisions from the Iraqi High Criminal Courts regarding these cases and its acceptance should include:
a. To formally recognize these crimes as genocide and official apology to the Kurdish nation.
b. To be against any policy that may lead to a repeat of such crimes against the Kurdish nation.
c. Material compensation to the victims and the Kurdish nation
d. The Iraqi parliament needs to work on requesting the Iraqi government to provide official apology to the Kurdish nation and undertake steps for such action.
e. The Iraqi government needs to cooperate for international recognition of crimes against Kurds as genocide and through various policies to support the Kurdish identity in the neighbour countries where Kurds live in.
f. At international level to work for recognizing the 16th of March as an international day against chemical weapons and mass destruction and not the 29th of April, which is known for that.
g. At the international level to work for recognizing the 14th of April as an international day in combating genocide against nations
Kurdistan National Congress – KNK
GUE/NGL Group in the European Parliament
In cooperation with
European Parliament – Kurds Friendship Group
Kurdocide watch – CHAK
Kurdish Institute of Brussels – KIB
The Confederation of Kurdish Association in Europe-KONKURD
Brussels, European Parliament, 16th of March 2011
