Mass Graves Day is observed in Iraq every May 16 to commemorate the victims of Saddam Hussein's regime, which was notorious for severe human rights violations. This remembrance day honors those who were killed for opposing Hussein's cruel rule, particularly during events such as the al-Anfal Campaign against the Kurdish population in 1988 and the suppression of popular rebellions by Kurds and Shia Muslims in 1991. Mass graves containing the remains of these victims were discovered following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, with estimates suggesting that around 300,000 individuals were killed between 1983 and 1991. Although it is not a non-working holiday, a moment of silence is observed on this day to pay tribute to the lives lost.