June 28 reminder of bitter chemical attack on Sardasht, Iran

Tehran, IRNA - Iraqi Baath regime of Saddam Hussein pounded Sardasht in West Azarbaijan Province, Iran, on June 28, 1987, with chemical weapons, leaving 109 civilians dead and 8,000 others injured.

June 28 is the reminder of chemical bombardment of Sardasht and the day of prohibiting chemical and biological weapons, when the heinous act left behind one of the most bitter memories in the history of Iran and the whole humanity, which symbolizes the fact that the people of Sardasht were oppressed. 

The Baath regime used mustard gas and nerve agents against the civilians in Sardasht. They dropped seven mustard gas bombs in urban areas, two bombs in market, two bombs in residential districts, and three bombs in nearby gardens. 

The population of Sardasht was estimated 12,000 at the time. Many of the 95% who survived the gas attack, developed serious long-term complications over the next few years, including serious respiratory problems, eye lesions, skin problems, as well as problems in their immune system.

It is worth mentioning that during the eight years of war, Iraq embarked on 252 chemical attacks on Iran, which left around 100,000 chemical patients, who are still suffering from the aftermaths of the chemical attacks.

The intensity of the bombardment and the sort of chemical weapons used against people in Sardasht were among the reasons that the city is known as the first victim of chemical weapons in the world and the symbol of oppression of the Iranian nation. 

It is very painful that Western media and those who claim they are defending democracy and human rights refused to cover the news to the extent it deserved. 

More than 400 companies, most of them from Germany and Britain, provided Iraq with chemical weapons. It is interesting that Germany is the only state that signed the Geneva Convention and allowed the European Union to inspect its chemical industry to prevent from producing chemical weapons in the country. 

Iran lodged a protest with the United Nations against the use of chemical weapons by Iraq. A delegation was sent to Iran to confirm the incident in Sardasht, but the condemnation report of the UN did not mentioned the name of Iraq as the perpetrator of the heinous incident.  

April 29 was designated International Day for the Foundation of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).