ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - On the 45th anniversary of the genocide committed against Faili Kurds, Kurdish leaders called on the Iraqi federal government to compensate victims and their families who were stripped of their citizenship, deported, and executed under the former Baath regime. “Today marks the 45th anniversary of the horrific genocide of the Feyli Kurds, who were subjected to killings, arrests, deportations, enforced disappearances, and the loss of their citizenship and property during a ruthless campaign orchestrated by the Iraqi regime of the time, solely because of their Kurdish identity and support for the Kurdistan Revolution,” read a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency on Friday. Faili Kurds have historically settled across the Zagros Mountain range and speak a distinct dialect of Kurdish, a sub-dialect of Luri. Unlike other Kurds who are mostly Sunni Muslims, Failis are Shiites, and they have been exposed to persecution, especially when the Baath party was in power in Iraq. In the 1980s, Faili Kurds were stripped of their citizenship, their properties were confiscated, and many were deported to Iran. Over 22,000 Faili youth were executed. The presidency’s statement called on the federal government “to compensate the Faili Kurds in all aspects, restore their citizenship, property, and assets, and resolve their issues.” In 2006, the Baathist-era decree was repealed and Faili citizenship was restored. The Iraqi Supreme Court in 2010 ruled that the crimes committed against Faili Kurds constituted genocide. In early January, the Iraqi government designated April 2 as a day to commemorate the Faili Kurds killed by the former regime. “We honor the memory of the victims of the Feyli Kurds genocide, who were killed in a horrific wave because of their Kurdish identity,” Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said in a post on X, adding that “After 45 years, it is time the federal government compensates the families.” Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani also issued a statement, using the opportunity to call for unity. “The Kurdish people not only remember the genocide and deportation of Faili Kurds by the former Baath regime, but also use the memory of this heinous crime to strengthen the shared destiny and unity among the diverse communities within Kurdistan. Furthermore, on this anniversary, we remind the Kurdish representatives in Baghdad to make every effort to secure compensation and the restoration of the rights seized from the Faili Kurds,” he said. Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masour Barzani paid tribute to the thousands of Failis who were killed. “On the 45th anniversary of the genocide against the Faili Kurds, we salute the pure bodies of the Faili martyrs and all martyrs on the path to Kurdistan's freedom. Our Faili sisters and brothers played a significant role in the Kurdistan liberation movement and our people's national cause. The genocide against the Faili Kurds was part of the former Iraqi regime's systematic plan aimed at annihilating the people of Kurdistan,” he said. Today, an estimated 1.5 million Faili Kurds live in Iraq, according to the Minority Rights Group. There are no confirmed numbers on how many have had their property returned to them or have obtained renewed citizenship documents.
