The Department of New and Renewable Energies at the College of Science, University of Mosul, in cooperation with the College Human Rights Unit and the Human Rights Division at the University Presidency, organized a workshop entitled “The Crime of Mass Graves in Iraq” on Monday, 8 June 2026, at the Ibn Sina Hall.

The workshop was held as part of a series of activities aimed at promoting human rights awareness and enhancing understanding of humanitarian and national issues. It addressed the concept of the crime of mass graves, its legal and humanitarian dimensions, and reviewed the major phases of this tragedy in Iraq.

The workshop featured two main themes. The first focused on the mass graves dating back to the former regime between 1979 and 2003, while the second addressed the mass graves left behind by the ISIS terrorist organization during the period 2014–2017.

The speakers noted that, following 2003, hundreds of mass grave sites have been discovered across various Iraqi governorates, with search, excavation, and exhumation efforts still ongoing. The workshop also emphasized that these sites stand as evidence of grave human rights violations and crimes against humanity, containing the remains of large numbers of victims.

The workshop concluded by stressing the importance of continuing national efforts to locate mass grave sites, identify the victims, and return their remains to their families, thereby contributing to the achievement of justice, providing redress for victims, and preserving Iraq’s national memory.

Media and Government Communication Division

Friday, 12 June 2026