Parliament Speaker and Martyrs Affairs Committee honour victims of Sheikh Wasan and Balisan chemical bombardment on 33rd commemoration

Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Dr. Rewas Faiq and Parliament’s Martyrs Affairs Committee on 16 April commemorated the 33rd anniversary of the chemical bombardment of civilians in Sheikh Wasan, Balisan and Khoshnawati, a crime committed by the former Iraqi Ba’ath regime.

Speaker Faiq paid her respects to souls of the victims and condemned the crimes as an attempt to destroy a nation, while the world remained silent. The Speaker reminded the international community and international human rights organisations that the chemical attacks against men, women, children and the elderly should be recognised as crimes of genocide. Some of the survivors continue to suffer from serious health conditions, to this day, she noted.

The Kurdistan Parliament calls on the Iraqi Federal Government to recognise the chemical bombardments as acts of genocide, make reparations and apologise to the people of Kurdistan, Speaker Faiq stated.

Parliament’s Martyrs Affairs, Genocide and Political Prisoners Committee noted that the systematic use of banned chemical weapons was another chapter in the former Iraqi Ba’ath regime’s crimes against a nation, and was against all international norms and principles.