Iraq renews pledge of justice for Yazidi genocide survivors
On the 11th anniversary of the Sinjar massacre, Iraq's Foreign Ministry renewed its appeal for international recognition of the 2014 ISIS campaign against the Yazidi community as 'genocide and crimes against humanity.'
In a statement on Sunday, the ministry marked August 3 with 'deep sorrow,' denouncing the mass killings, abductions, and enslavement of Yazidis and other minorities.
Over a decade later, nearly 2,600 Yazidi women and girls remain missing, while recovery teams continue to exhume and identify remains from mass graves scattered across Sinjar and surrounding areas.
pic.twitter.com/bAU7OfQHzZ
— وزارة الخارجية العراقية (@Iraqimofa) August 3, 2025
The ministry reaffirmed Iraq's commitment to locating the missing, supporting survivors, and implementing the Yazidi Survivors Law—enacted in 2021 to provide legal status and state support for women held by ISIS, including financial aid, mental health services, social reintegration, and prosecution of those responsible—while its embassies continue to advocate for justice and formal international recognition.
It also urged stronger international coordination to help trace abductees, prevent further abuses, and strengthen recovery through long-term partnerships with humanitarian groups and governments.
In turn, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Shakhwan Abdullah described the massacre as 'one of the most horrific crimes in recent history,' demanding full enforcement of the 2020 Sinjar Agreement, which aims to remove unauthorized armed groups and restore government control in the area.
He called for urgent reconstruction of Sinjar, financial compensation for survivors, and guarantees for the safe, voluntary return of displaced Yazidi families.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
'Opposition Leader': Iraq to face mass protests over Kuwait maritime deal
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraq could face sweeping protests in a few days if the government fails to act on a court ruling that annulled a contentious maritime agreement with Kuwait, a lawmaker warned on Monday. In a video message, MP Amir Abdul Jabbar Ismail, who described himself as the 'head of the parliamentary opposition,' cautioned that demonstrators may escalate their demands—after the Arbaeen pilgrimage on August 14—to include calls for the dismissal of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's cabinet unless the ruling is enforced. عاجل⚫️ رئيس المعارضةالنيابية يحذر السوداني من مظاهرات كبرى بعد زيارة الأربعين قد يرتفع مطالب المتظاهرين الى مطلب اقالة الحكومة مالم تتدارك وتنفذ قرار المحكمة الاتحادية 105 / 2023 عبر إيداعه لدى الامم المتحدة ولدى المنظمة البحرية الدولية‼️ عبر @YouTube — عامر عبدالجبار اسماعيل (@AmerAIsmael1) August 4, 2025 The Federal Supreme Court's Decision No. 105 of 2023 overturned Law No. 42 of 2013, which had ratified a 2012 agreement governing navigation in the Khor Abdullah waterway. The court found that the deal was approved in violation of Article 61/IV of Iraq's Constitution, which requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority for treaty ratification. Ismail urged the government to formally deposit the ruling with the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization, and to register Iraq's maritime boundaries. 'This is sincere advice,' he noted, stressing the need to act swiftly to prevent public escalation. While the government defends the Khor Abdullah deal as a step toward regional de-escalation, critics view it as a threat to Iraq's sovereignty. Backed by a majority of lawmakers, the court ruling sparked demonstrations in Baghdad and Basra, where protesters demanded the cancellation of the agreement and immediate implementation of the verdict.
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Major fires sweep Iraq, Kurdistan amid safety crackdown
Shafaq News – Al-Sulaymaniyah / Basra / Saladin Iraq's Civil Defense teams battled a series of major fires on Monday across three provinces, officials said. In al-Sulaymaniyah, the kurdistan Region, a large fire broke out in several commercial warehouses along the main Arbat–al-Sulaymaniyah road, Civil Defense spokesperson Aram Ali told Shafaq News. Firefighters contained the blaze after more than two hours, reporting 'substantial material losses.' In Basra, Civil Defense chief Maj. Gen. Mazen Mohammed Lafta confirmed that teams quickly extinguished a fire in a two-story building in the Yassin Khreibet area. The structure, which housed shops on the ground floor and a storage facility on the upper floor, had been previously closed for safety violations under Iraq's Civil Defense Law No. 44 of 2013. Lafta credited 'rapid response and professional coordination' for preventing the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. Meanwhile, in Saladin, a truck caught fire on the Tikrit–Kirkuk highway near the Hamrin Mountains. Civil Defense teams managed to control the blaze and clear the roadway. Preliminary findings point to an electrical fault as the likely cause. Authorities confirmed that no casualties were reported in any of the three incidents, though all caused significant property damage. Officials have launched formal investigations and urged businesses to comply with safety regulations to prevent future incidents. The push for stricter enforcement has intensified since last month's catastrophic fire at the Corniche Hypermarket in Kut, Wasit province—a five-story complex that had opened only days earlier. The blaze killed 70 people and injured hundreds, prompting a nationwide review of commercial safety standards.
Shafaq News
3 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Syria builds security alliances amid ‘Western pressure'
Shafaq News – Damascus Syria is expanding its international security partnerships to counter mounting Western pressure, with Pakistan viewing this cooperation as an opportunity to enhance its own strategic influence, Syrian analyst Muhannad al‑Abdullah told Shafaq News on Monday. The remarks came as a senior Syrian delegation—led by Deputy Interior Minister for Civil Affairs Ziad al-Ayesh and top General Intelligence Directorate officials—visited Pakistan yesterday to strengthen bilateral coordination on intelligence-sharing, counterterrorism, organized crime, and security training, according to the Interior Ministry. Al‑Abdullah added that the visit reinforces longstanding ties, pointing to Pakistan's consistent engagement with Syria on intelligence matters despite regional instability. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Syria's transitional government has expanded diplomatic outreach, conducting official visits to Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and other countries.
