Over dozen graves at Christian cemetery vandalized in Erbil’s Koya

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Thursday strongly condemned the vandalism of a Christian cemetery in the Koya district of eastern Erbil province, after unidentified individuals damaged more than a dozen graves.

“We strongly condemn this destructive and inappropriate act committed against the graves of our Christian brothers and sisters in the Koya district,” read a statement from the office of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

The statement urged local authorities and relevant government institutions to “immediately launch the necessary investigations to identify and punish the perpetrators.”

The vandalized cemetery is located in Harmota, a predominantly Christian village in the Koya district.

At least 15 graves were damaged, according to a Rudaw reporter at the scene.

The Prime Minister’s office assured families that the graves will be restored to their original state.

In a separate statement, the KRG Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs also condemned the incident, describing it as an act of sabotage that violates the Kurdistan Region’s values of religious coexistence. The ministry called on authorities in Koya to bring those responsible to justice.

The vandalism has sparked anger among local Christian residents.

“A large number of graves have been vandalized, some with hammers, others with different tools, and several graves were left uncovered,” Hawzhin Silewa, a Christian community member and lecturer at Koya University, told Rudaw.

Silewa said the damage suggests it was carried out by more than one person, likely during the previous night. “We do not know who did this or why,” he added.

He noted that members of the Christian community gathered at the cemetery to express their outrage. “Throughout the history of our ancestors, such acts have never occurred against us,” he said.

Local security forces in Koya have opened an investigation into the incident, Rudaw has learned.

More than 100 Christian families live in Harmota and around 60 in central Koya, totaling over 700 people. Harmota accounts for around nine percent of Koya’s population. The district currently has two churches, the largest being Maryam Pakiza in the Harmota neighborhood.