Iraq’s parliament is preparing amendments to its terrorism victims compensation law to include Kurdish and Feyli Kurdish victims who were previously excluded, a lawmaker said on Saturday.
Avesta Mam Yahya, a member of the Parliamentary Martyrs and Political Prisoners Committee, said the proposed changes would extend financial compensation, educational benefits, and employment rights to affected families, ensuring equal treatment for all victims of terrorism.
“The aim of the amendment is to guarantee justice and fairness for all Iraqis harmed by terrorism, without discrimination,” Yahya said in a statement.
She added that the amendments are not expected to face political opposition, citing broad consensus among lawmakers that terrorism has affected all Iraqi communities and that compensation frameworks should be inclusive.
Feyli Kurds were among the groups most severely impacted under the former regime, with many stripped of citizenship, forcibly displaced, or killed. In the years following 2003, they were also targeted by extremist violence. Despite this, they have repeatedly criticized their exclusion from compensation mechanisms.
The legislation, formally known as the Law on Compensating Victims of Military Operations, Military Mistakes, and Terrorist Actions, provides redress for civilians affected by conflict and terrorism. However, its implementation has varied across regions, prompting repeated calls for reform to ensure uniform application nationwide.
