Official Statement from the General Secretariat of AlDaae Party on the Anniversary of the Crimes of the Defunct Ba’ath Regime

On this day, the 16th of March, we solemnly remember the heinous crimes committed by the defunct Ba’ath regime against the Iraqi people and the immense oppression they endured under its brutal security apparatus. The regime’s cruelty spared no one—young or old, male or female, civilian or rural dweller—inflicting suffering and injustice upon our nation for decades. The evidence of these atrocities is abundant, starting with the systematic elimination of intellectual youth in the early 1980s under the pretext of political opposition, followed by the Anfal campaign against the Kurdish people on baseless accusations, the chemical attack on Halabja, and culminating in the mass graves of innocent Iraqis in the South during the Sha’baniyah Uprising. Furthermore, the regime targeted scholars, righteous figures, and intellectuals while also violating the fundamental right of individuals to live freely and with dignity, coercing them into forced allegiance to the ruling clique.

The deep-seated psychological complexes of the defunct Ba’ath regime, as a fascist dictatorship, led it to brand all dissenting voices as traitors and enemies, justifying their elimination by any means necessary. Many of those who assumed power after 2003 bore witness to this oppression, raising the hopes of Iraqis for a new era—one that would break free from the Ba’athist legacy through the promotion of tolerance, acceptance of diversity, and the rejection of all forms of racism. This, in turn, was expected to heal wounds and restore the country to its democratic foundations.

However, the reality of governance post-Ba’ath era took a different course, as the ruling parties exhibited a new form of authoritarianism. Some political factions contradicted their previously proclaimed principles, engaging in internal conflicts and fostering sectarianism and racism for personal and partisan gains. This deviation undermined democracy, replacing it with a system of political quotas and power-sharing arrangements that fueled corruption, strengthened terrorism, and facilitated the proliferation of arms outside state control. Consequently, Iraq witnessed the return of political repression, the silencing of dissent, and the enforcement of martial law, albeit unofficially.

How many innocent protesters have been killed? How many professionals and academics have been assassinated without any decisive action from the authorities to curb these crimes? How many scholars, innovators, and righteous individuals have been targeted without successive governments taking a firm stand against their murders?

AlDaae Party has experienced this firsthand with the assassination of our esteemed founder, Mr. Fadhil Al-Marsomi Al-Husseini, who was murdered in broad daylight. Yet, the government and judiciary failed to respond in a manner befitting the gravity of the crime, even though our late founder was a staunch advocate of democracy and state institutions, committed to upholding Iraq’s sovereignty and dignity. Today, however, this sovereignty is blatantly violated by external powers—not only through border breaches and disregard for national laws and the constitution but also through direct interference in Iraq’s internal affairs. The energy and electricity sector serves as a stark example of this external manipulation, where foreign interests dictate policies at the expense of the Iraqi people.

Today, as we mark this painful anniversary, our wounds remain unhealed. What exacerbates our grief is the profound disappointment felt by our people. After more than two decades under governments that claim to uphold democracy, Iraqi citizens continue to suffer violations of their rights, with their interests neglected. These governments have failed to protect the people from the remnants of Ba’athist tyranny—not in name, but in deeds and ideology. Oppression, despotism, and exclusionary policies remain unchanged, even if the perpetrators have changed.

The General Secretariat of AlDaae Party
Baghdad, Iraq
15th Ramadan 1446 AH
16th March 2025