ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Thursday oversaw the handover of archival documents on Baathist era crimes to an Iraqi documentation center during his visit to London, his office said. The archive, previously held by an Iraqi human rights organization, was transferred to the Iraqi Center for Documenting Extremist Crimes, which is affiliated with the al-Abbas Holy Shrine located in Karbala, according to a statement from Sudani’s office. “Sudani emphasized the importance of documentation and archival materials in preserving information, evidence, and documents related to the Baathist dictatorship and its crimes,” the statement read. The Arab Socialist Baath Party ruled Iraq from 1968 until 2003 when the United States-led invasion toppled its leader Saddam Hussein and launched a de-Baathification programme. Saddam Hussein and his regime committed crimes against humanity, including the Anfal genocide of the Kurds and numerous crimes against Shiites. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds and Shiites were disappeared and murdered. Saddam Hussein was executed in 2006 after being convicted for crimes against humanity. Sudani highlighted the archives “critical role in maintaining memory for future generations, supporting researchers, and contributing to legal and historical studies,” the statement added. The handover was formalized through a signed protocol under Sudani’s patronage.
