, ▁many ▁mass ▁gra ves ▁in ▁Kur dist an ▁contain ▁Ira qi ▁Kur ds , ▁who ▁were ▁killed ▁in ▁a ▁gen oc idal ▁act ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁eth nic ity . ▁▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁crack down ▁on ▁Sh ia ▁political ▁parties ▁and ▁Sh ia ▁activ ists . ▁This ▁period ▁involved ▁thousands ▁of ▁" Re volution ary ▁Court " ▁tri als ▁which ▁meant ▁ ▁groups ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 - 5 0 0 ▁Sh ia ▁young ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁as ▁young ▁as ▁ 1 3 ▁would ▁be ▁ho arded ▁together ▁and ▁sent enced ▁to ▁death . ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁the ▁ ▁ag gress ive ▁tact ics ▁by ▁S add am ▁regime ▁to ▁cr ush ▁any ▁Sh ia ▁movements , ▁following ▁the ▁kid n apping ▁and ▁brut al ▁murder ▁of ▁a ▁key ▁Sh ia ▁Le ader ▁Ay atol lah ▁Moh amed ▁Ba q ir ▁Al - S adr . ▁In ▁this ▁year ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁Ira q ▁young ▁men , ▁women ▁and ▁children ▁were ▁sent enced ▁to ▁death ▁under ▁the ▁accus ation ▁of ▁joining ▁a ▁political ▁party . ▁Those ▁who ▁were ▁luck y ▁- ▁after ▁un im agin able ▁tort ure ▁and ▁inter rog ation ▁- ▁would ▁be ▁sent enced ▁to ▁L if etime ▁imprison ment . ▁The ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁attack ▁against ▁Kur d ish ▁citizens ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁Bar z ani ▁tribe , ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁rounded ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁regime ▁in ▁northern ▁Ira q ▁and ▁executed ▁in ▁desert