KRG Justice Official Condemns Funeral For Former Ba’ath Intelligence Chief In Erbil

PUKMEDIA

Shilan Arif, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice of the KRG.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has issued a strongly worded statement expressing anguish and criticism over the holding of a funeral in Erbil for the former head of the intelligence service of the fallen Ba’ath regime, who died in the city.

Shilan Arif, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice of the KRG, said in a statement: “Oh, father, I still wish I knew where your grave was. I continue to search for the remains of our loved ones, hoping to find where they lie.”

Arif's father was one of the victims of the Ba'ath regime's genocide campaign against the Kurds.

In her statement, she conveyed deep personal grief, reflecting on the unresolved pain of families whose relatives disappeared during past atrocities.

“Father, today feels like a slow death. It drags me into the depths of grief and shame. The government formed with the blood of thousands of martyrs like you—whose graves remain unknown—is now holding a funeral in the capital for those responsible for the massacre of Kurds,” she said.

She also criticised the commemoration of individuals accused of involvement in grave crimes, including the Anfal campaign, chemical attacks, torture, forced displacement, and the suffering of prisoners.

“The absence of a father’s grave is an enduring pain. Yet even more painful is witnessing shelter, burial, and mourning for those responsible,” she added.

In her closing remarks, she wrote: “It is an everlasting pain in my heart, for he was responsible for the disappearance of our loved ones, but they now stand proud to mourn him today. What a bitter and painful moment this is.”

Tahir Jalil Habboush, the last head of Saddam Hussein’s intelligence service prior to the fall of the Ba'ath regime, died of a heart attack in Erbil on Friday.

Ba’athist intelligence officer Salem al-Jumaili said that the funeral will be held at Jalil Khayat Mosque and will continue over three days.

Habboush was a senior figure within the former regime’s intelligence apparatus and has been accused of involvement in serious human rights violations, including operations during the Anfal campaign, the Anfal operations against the Barzanis, the killing of Kurdish and Arab political activists, and the suppression of uprisings. He even believed that Anfal was a righteous process and was to enforce the law.

Following the fall of the Ba’ath regime, the United States reportedly offered a reward of $1 million for information leading to his capture.

His death in Erbil has prompted questions and reactions regarding the circumstances of his presence and how he came to reside in the city. 



PUKMEDIA