Around 30 Assyrian graves in a newly established cemetery in Shaqlawa, in northern Iraq, were vandalized on December 12. Crosses and headstones on the graves were deliberately broken.
Security footage from the cemetery shows a man systematically destroying the crosses and knocking down the headstones. Authorities later apprehended a suspect, who is reported to have confessed to the crime.
A similar attack targeted another Shaqlawa cemetery in February 2024, prompting the local Assyrian community to install security cameras at the sites.
The Assyrian Democratic Movement, the main political organization representing Assyrians in northern Iraq, said it “renews its unequivocal condemnation of all forms of attacks on religious symbols and cemeteries.”
The Shaqlawa incident is part of a broader series of Kurdish attacks targeting the indigenous Assyrian population in Northern Iraq.
The Assyria Post
Earlier in December, nearly 15 Assyrian graves were vandalized in the village of Armota in the Erbil governorate, sparking anger and grief within the local community. The following day, another incident came to light when the Mar Khanana Church of the Assyrian Church of the East was splattered with mud and pelted with stones in the Deralok district of Duhok province.
No suspects have been arrested or held accountable for the other attacks, reinforcing concerns that assaults targeting Assyrians are tolerated and that perpetrators are not pursued.
The Assyria Post
In a previous statement following one of the incidents, the Assyrian Democratic Movement said the attacks form part of a continuing pattern. “These incidents are neither sudden nor isolated, and they have never been dealt with seriously or with genuine accountability. Instead, they have recurred without deterrence, as though our rights and sacred places are permissible targets for anyone harboring hatred or ignorance in their heart.”
The Assyria Post
