Iranian Survivors of Saddam Hussein’s Chemical Warfare Seek Justice Against Dutch Firms
In a landmark case, five Iranian survivors of the chemical attacks orchestrated by the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war have initiated legal proceedings against two Dutch companies. The firms, Otjiaha and Forafina Beleggingen, are accused of supplying the chemical materials that enabled Baghdad to produce mustard gas.
The lawsuit, filed in The Hague, alleges that the Dutch companies knowingly supplied Iraq with chemicals between 1982 and 1984, during the Iraqi invasion of Iran. The plaintiffs argue that the companies were cognisant that their products were being utilised to manufacture chemical weapons targeted at civilians.
However, the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant reports that the companies vehemently deny these allegations, insisting that the chemicals were intended for agricultural use as pesticides.
Hans Melchers, the billionaire former owner of Otjiaha, then known as Melchemie, appeared in court on June 22, vehemently denying all charges. Melchers is accused of facilitating the delivery of 1,850 tons of thionyl chloride, a key component of mustard gas, to Iraq.
In 1987, his company was penalised and temporarily closed for allegedly flouting a Dutch government embargo designed to halt the transfer of materials to Iraq that could be utilised in weapon production.
Forafina Beleggingen, known as KBS Holland at the time, is also under scrutiny for allegedly supplying TDG to Iraq, another crucial ingredient in the production of mustard gas. It is suggested that Western governments and companies covertly supplied Saddam with chemical weapon components during the 1980s when he was considered ‘our man in Baghdad’.
The use of mustard gas by Iraq has left an indelible mark on the five plaintiffs, who continue to suffer from respiratory issues and damage to their lungs, eyes, and skin. “These people’s lives were destroyed at the time … [the] Dutch companies share a part of the responsibility for that,” lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld told reporters on 23 June.
The deployment of chemical weapons by Iraq during the war from 1980 to 1988 resulted in the immediate death of hundreds of Iranian soldiers and civilians, while countless others have been left with enduring health complications.
More coverage via Iranian media below…
Iranian victims of Saddam’s chemical attacks sue Dutch suppliers@Jerome__Hughes reports from The Hague. pic.twitter.com/N18jYZiTfB
— Press TV (@PressTV) June 23, 2023
