Al-Sulaymaniyah marks Martyrs Day

Shafaq News/ On Friday, the Feyli Kurdish community held a memorial ceremony in Al-Sulaymaniyah to mark Feyli Martyrs Day.

Organized by the Germsir Association, the event included a Quran recitation for the victims and speeches addressing ongoing challenges such as displacement, political exclusion, and economic hardship.

Association Secretary Shehab al-Feyli said the occasion "honors past violations and affirms the community’s efforts to preserve its identity and secure its rights," and called for continued recognition and justice.

Attendees urged the Kurdistan Regional Government and federal authorities to increase Feyli Kurdish representation in political institutions, citing the group’s demographic size and historical contributions.

Feyli Kurds, a Shia Kurdish minority, were subjected to deportations, loss of citizenship, and enforced disappearances under Saddam Hussein’s rule. Thousands were expelled to Iran, and many remain unaccounted for.

Iraq’s High Criminal Court recognized these acts as genocide in 2011. The government designated April 2 as Feyli Martyrs Day and allocated land for a cemetery in their memory.