Ajaj of Nugra Salman sentenced to death for Kurdish atrocities

Ajaj of Nugra Salman sentenced to death in Iraq for Kurdish atrocities — Ajaj Hardan Ahmad al-Tikriti, remembered by Kurdish survivors of Nugra Salman prison as “Ajaj of Nugra Salman,” 1980s. May 2026. Photo: iKurd.net/video/Iraqi TV.

BAGHDAD,— An Iraqi court in Baghdad court on Thursday sentenced a former Iraqi prison chief to death for crimes committed against Kurds during the Anfal campaign of the late 1980s, the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

The court handed down the maximum penalty to Ajaj Hardan Ahmad al-Tikriti, a Baath-era prison official widely known as the “Nugra Salman executioner,” or “Ajaj of Nugra Salman” INA said the ruling stemmed from charges of genocide and crimes against humanity committed against Kurds during the Anfal campaign.

Nugra Salman Prison. Located in the remote desert of Iraq’s Al-Muthanna Governorate in southern Iraq, about 150 kilometers from the Saudi border, Nugra Salman—also known as the Salman Depression—served as a notorious prison. It became a tragic site in history where thousands of Kurds were detained and later executed. Photo: Screengrab/video/Sajjad Alnaely/YT

Habil Ahmed, director of the Anfal Monument in Chamchamal, told reporters that 300 charges were filed against al-Tikriti. Most involved torture, beatings, and killings. Some charges specifically cited sexual assault and other severe abuses.

The initial hearing, held May 7, 2026, included testimonies from 26 witnesses and victims’ family members who recounted abuses at Nugra Salman Prison. Witnesses swore under oath to the events they endured.

Al-Tikriti was arrested on July 31, 2025. Iraqi officials reported last week that he admitted during interrogation to multiple crimes, including sexual assault, starving prisoners, and direct involvement in killings inside Nugra Salman, a remote desert prison in southern Iraq used during the campaign.

Survivors and relatives of victims gathered at the court. The Families of Anfal victims expressed satisfaction with the sentence and urged the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region to pursue similar legal action against other perpetrators of the campaign.

Witnesses at the hearing described the ruling as a historic moment for the families of Anfal victims and for the Kurdish community.

The Anfal campaign was carried out between February and September 1988 under the government of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

It involved chemical attacks, mass executions, and the destruction of more than 4,000 villages. Estimates put the Kurdish death toll between 50,000 and 182,000. Many victims were buried in unmarked mass graves across southern Iraq.

(With files from Rudaw | Channel8 | Agencies)