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The Iraq History Project (IHP) gathers and analyzes personal narratives from
victims, their families, witnesses, perpetrators and others regarding human
rights violations committed during Saddam Hussein’s regime. These testimonies
document the experience of torture, massacres, assassinations, rape, chemical
weapons attacks, disappearances, and other acts of systematic repression.
The IHP is one of the largest independent human rights data collection and
analysis projects in the world. The IHP has gathered over 7,000 testimonies from
throughout Iraq which have been entered into a secure, searchable database. The project is managed by the International Human Rights Law Institute of DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, IL, USA and run by an all-Iraqi in-country staff. At peak levels, the project involved over 60 interviewers, supervisors, analysts, data entry staff, and administrators. A selection of testimonies and some preliminary analysis are presented on this website, and have been made publicly available in publications and on the radio. Project staff are currently drafting the IHP final report.
The IHP’s victim-centered historical record of past violations is designed to
facilitate national reconciliation, encourage the implementation of policies
that assist victims of past and present violations, and help build the
foundations for the defense and protection of fundamental human rights in Iraq.
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The following testimonies are edited versions of interviews gathered by the Iraq History Project (IHP) staff and entered into the database. The testimonies present first hand accounts of the experience of severe human rights violations and provide insight into how three decades of brutal repression impacted the lives of the Iraqi people. The names of those interviewed and other identifying information have been changed. Recorded versions of the testimonies present the voices of actors and actresses and are drawn from IHP radio broadcasts.
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Bato |
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I was young and musically talented. I wanted to be a great artist. One of my relatives had a band in Baghdad and he taught me how to play all sorts of music including Western songs. I became a fine guitar player ...
Testimony |
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Jasim |
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I cry when I speak about what I have done. I know that nothing I can do would be enough for me to deserve forgiveness. I only hope that my willingness to confess my crimes is proof that I am truly repentant ...
Testimony |
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Banaz |
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We were a happy family and everyone was jealous of our good fortune. But, this happiness ended quickly. Our wonderful life together turned to misery because of Saddam. I was married in 1983 to a man named Karim. He was my cousin and was quiet, calm, and kind ...
Testimony |
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Hawbash |
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I have only told someone this whole story once before. It is so difficult for me that I can hardly bear it.
On March 13, Iran attacked and bombarded Halabja because there were a large number of Iraqi army forces deployed in the city. It was 1988 and I was in fifth grade. All the schools and government offices ...
Testimony |
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Gula |
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My husband was arrested after several people gave the security forces his name. Six months later, some Iraqi officers arrived at my brother-in-law’s home. They knocked on the gate and asked for me. My sister told them I wasn’t there. I heard the conversation and came out. At the time, I didn’t know they had come to arrest me...
Testimony |
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Widad |
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When we look at life, we discover how cruel it is.
I know this because I lost the most precious things.
When I was younger, I was happy. Then, after they took my father away, I lost my love for life. They deprived our family of the force that held us together, and afterwards, only tragedy remained—and injustice, oppression, and tyranny...
Testimony |
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