On the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the Chemical bombing of Sardasht, Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Fernando Arias issued a message on Monday.
Stating that June 28 is considered as the official day of commemoration of the victims of the chemical attack on Sardasht in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Fernando Arias expressed his sympathy and solidarity with the people of Sardasht.
Global hatred of chemical attacks helped the signing of the Chemical Weapons Convention by a large number of countries in 1993, he said, adding that this sad anniversary is an important opportunity for the international community to reunite for a common condemnation of chemical weapons.
He went on to say that to date, 193 countries are members of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and more than 98% of the world's population lives under the Convention, stressing that it is vital for the international community to renew its commitment to the Convention and its lofty goal of a world free of chemical weapons.
"The victims of Sardasht and all those who have experienced the suffering of chemical weapons deserve the respect and solidarity of all of us," he added.
On June 28, 1987, when the Iraqi imposed war against Iran was its peak, the Saddam regime’s launched chemical weapons on Sardasht, northwest Iran, which can be categorized as one of the most adverse humanitarian crimes after the First World War.
As a result of this war crime, some 130 out of 12,000 people residing in Sardasht lost their lives while more than 8,000 others suffered injuries. Although 33 years have passed since the attack, people are still suffering from its consequences.
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