Iraq Declares March 16 a National Holiday to Honour Halabja Victims

The Iraqi federal government officially designated 16 March as a national holiday, commemorating the Halabja chemical attack and other crimes committed under Saddam Hussein's Baathist regime. It marked the first time the federal government extended such recognition to the entire country.

The decision was made under the Official Holidays Law No. 12 of 2024 and serves as an acknowledgement of the atrocities committed by the former regime, including the Halabja massacre, the Anfal campaign, mass executions, uprisings and the systematic targeting of political parties.

The Halabja chemical attack, carried out on 16 March 1988 during the final days of the Iran-Iraq War, killed over 5,000 Kurdish civilians, including women, children and the elderly, and left more than 10,000 others severely injured. On 1 March 2010 the Iraqi High Criminal Court recognised the chemical bombing of Halabja as an act of genocide. (Kurdistan24)