The 93rd anniversary of the Simmele Massacre has been marked not only by commemorative events and statements from Assyrian institutions, churches and political parties in Iraq and the diaspora, but also by growing calls from Iraqi officials for the massacre formal recognition.

The massacre, carried out by the Iraqi Army in 1933, claimed the lives of approximately 3000 Assyrian civilians and forced thousands more to flee to other parts of Iraq and Syria, particularly along the Khabur River Valley in Hasakah countryside.

Related: The 1933 Massacre of Assyrians in Simmele, Iraq

Among those leading the push for official acknowledgment is Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Farhad al-Atroushi.

In a statement released on Friday, 7 August 2026, the same day observed as Assyrian Martyrs' Day, he called on the state to formally recognize the Simmele Massacre. His office stated that such recognition would help "entrench the values of justice and citizenship" and serve as a safeguard against similar tragedies in the future.

The statement quoted Al-Atroushi who commemorated souls of the 1933 Simmele victims from the Christian Assyrian people.

He affirmed that the atrocity "represents one of the most painful tragedies in Iraq's modern history."

Al-Atroushi called for "defending minority rights, official recognition of the massacre and reinforcement of justice and citizenship values, measures that would help preserve Iraq's diversity and prevent such tragedies from recurring."

President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) Nechirvan Barzani via X commemorated the 93rd anniversary of the Simmele Massacre and Assyrian Martyrs' Day.

"We extend our tribute and reverence to the souls of the innocent martyrs and victims of the Simmele Massacre, who fell in 1933 alongside the residents of more than 60 villages in the Nineveh and Dohuk governorates, at the hands of the then-royal Iraqi authorities," Barzani stated.

Barzani further emphasized: "On this painful anniversary, the path to progress lies in preserving and deepening a culture of tolerance, coexistence and mutual acceptance. All institutions affirm that Kurdistan will remain forever a shared homeland for everyone."

Barzani and Al-Atroushi are members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). However, the party itself has not yet issued any official recognition of the Simmele Massacre; acknowledgments have so far been limited to individuals speaking in their personal or official capacities.