Iraq has convicted Ajaj Ahmed al-Tikiri, who was also known as Hajaj Nukrah Salman, a notorious prison official during the Saddam regime era. This is important for Iraq because it continues to show that Baghdad can get some justice for victims of the Saddam era. Tikriti was known for the mass murder and torture of Kurdish civilians during the genocidal Anfal campaign launched by Baghdad against Kurds.
A video posted online in Iraq shows the prison where the abuses occurred and shows the accused, in a yellow prison suit, walking around. One social media account noted “Iraqi judiciary: A death sentence has been issued against Hajaj al-Tikriti after he implemented brutal policies that included the torture and starvation of elderly civilians, women, and children to the point of death, burying them in mass graves, humiliating detainees, and the forced disappearance of their relatives, totaling (1068), as part of an organized criminal project.”
Kurdistan24, a Kurdish channel, noted that this will bring some peace of mind for the victims of the Anfal campaign. The accused was known as the “butcher of Nukrah Salman.”The report added that “in a historic moment for justice and the memory of the Anfal atrocities, a Baghdad court has issued a death sentence against the notorious former official of the Nugra Salman prison.”
Al-Tikri was on the run for 20 years
Ahmed al-Tikiri, whose last name refers to Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, was found in 2025. He had been on the run, apparently, for 20 years. A court of appeals in Baghdad issued a ruling on May 14. It heard from victims and their relatives.
Ayad Kakeyi further told Rudaw Media Network on Wednesday that “the testimony of the accused had significantly strengthened the prosecution’s case, as he clearly confessed to his crimes.” This has made it easier for the court to reach a final decision,’ Kakeyi said, adding that “the evidence against the accused is also very strong.”
The report went on to note that “Iraqi officials last week reported that the former prison warden 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 Anfal campaign against the Kurds.”
This is important for Iraq and for the Kurdish minority. It shows Baghdad is serious about justice. It also shows that perpetrators cannot assume they will be able to hide and get away with crimes. It comes as Kurds continue to push for a larger political role in Baghdad and as the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq struggles against Iranian attacks. Tikriti confessed to “killing innocent people, torturing them, and carrying out assaults against them,” the Rudaw report noted.