A man examines photos of people who have disappeared. The pictures were found in secret files, photocopied and displayed. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

Local civilians recover remains of Shiite Muslims from a mass grave near Al Musayyib. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

Local civilians recover remains of Shiite Muslims from a mass grave near Al Musayyib. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

Local civilians recover remains of Shiite Muslims from a mass grave near Al Musayyib. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

A civilian takes a photograph of bodies of Shiite Muslims executed in 1991 and buried near Al Musayyib. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

Relatives of the missing search through corpses recovered from a mass grave near Al Musayyib. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

The remains of a 14-year-old boy found in a mass grave near Al Musayyib is identified by relatives. As the boy was going to school in 1991, he was captured by soldiers of the Republican Guard, hung with an electrical wire (shown here) and shot. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

Abbas Sabar, followed by his mother Zainab, carries the remains of his brother Navar, found in the grave near Al Musayyib. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

Relatives of the missing search through corpses recovered from a mass grave near Al-Mahawil. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

A mother holds a photograph of her missing son at the site of a mass grave near Al-Mahawil. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

A woman at the site of a mass grave near Al-Mahawil. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

Hamisha Ali kisses the skull she has just identified as being of her son Hassan Habaeb. He was killed in 1991 and buried in a mass grave near Al Mahawil. According to human rights groups, an estimated 300,000 people disappeared in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule. Some went missing in the 1980s, when Saddam ordered the detention and execution of thousands of communists, Shiite Muslims and rival members of his Baath Party. Most disappeared in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi Republican Guards suppressed twin revolts by Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. The discovery of mass graves began soon after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

Spot News,2nd prize