Ministry of Defence ignores files on victims of the Hawija bombing

Today, journalists from Investico, BOOS (BNNVARA) and De Groene Amsterdammer published a critical article on the lack of individual financial compensation for the Iraqi victims and their families following the Dutch airstrike on Hawija in 2015. Their investigation – based in part on input from PAX – raises important questions about the lack of compensation. The Ministry of Defence has still not provided clear answers to these questions. As a result, this group of people is once again becoming a victim of (the lack of) Dutch action.

Ever since the media revealed the Netherlands’ responsibility for the attack on Hawija (Dutch) in 2019, we have been campaigning for compensation for the victims and their families. Our own research in 2022 – conducted in collaboration with the Iraqi NGO Al-Ghad League and Utrecht University – revealed that at least 85 civilians had been killed and that the attack had had a lasting, negative impact on the lives of many others. At that time, the bereaved families and other victims were already clear in their demands of the Dutch government: an apology and financial compensation.

However, the Netherlands has always maintained that there are significant practical obstacles to paying financial compensation. For instance, in 2025, former Defence Minister Brekelmans argued that, more than ten years after the event, it would be too difficult to ascertain the experiences and associated evidence of individual victims. Yet, as the investigation now reveals, no attempt was even made to do so. By failing to conduct an on-site investigation and by concealing responsibility for the air strike for years, this group of people has once again become a victim of (the failure to act on the part of) the Netherlands.

Furthermore, following extensive research and a visit to Iraq, the journalists maintain that a great deal of evidence is indeed available (Dutch). This includes, for example, death certificates recognised and/or issued by Iraq, medical records, and ownership documents relating to destroyed or damaged private property. The Dutch government has never actively sought this information and now claims – for unclear reasons – that it cannot use these documents. This also applies to the data we collected for our own investigation.

This is despite the fact that one of our partners in Iraq, the NGO Ashor Foundation, maintains a database containing details of more than 300 victims. This database has been offered to the Netherlands on several occasions, but the offer has never been taken up. The compensation office in Kirkuk, the capital of the province of which Hawija is also a part, has never been visited or contacted by Dutch government officials either. This office arranges compensation in accordance with Iraqi law, whilst also investigating whether applicants were affiliated with Islamic State or not. Many victims of the Dutch attack on Hawija have submitted their applications, together with supporting evidence, to this office.

In response to the article in De Groene Amsterdammer, Investico and BOOS, the Ministry of Defence has once again cited practical objections (Dutch)that would make compensation difficult. The Ministry has not explained why it did not make use of the aforementioned evidence or Iraqi government bodies. This is unacceptable. The victims and their families must receive appropriate compensation as soon as possible.