Activists urge recognition of Yazidi genocide
On Sunday, writers, intellectuals, and political figures in Al-Sulaymaniyah held a solidarity gathering to mark the 11th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide by ISIS in Sinjar, Nineveh province.
During a press conference on the sidelines of the event, civil activist Saza Abdullah explained that thousands of displaced Yazidis are still living in difficult conditions in camps across Zakho, Erbil, Duhok, and Al-Sulaymaniyah.
She noted that while some families have returned to their areas, the continued existence of camps demonstrates that the catastrophe is far from over, adding, 'Most of Nineveh has been rebuilt, except for Sinjar, which still suffers from neglect and systematic destruction targeting Yazidis.'
The fate of more than 2,600 Yazidi women and children remains unknown, and around 80 mass graves have yet to be opened, she said, pointing out that more than 40 children were killed, and over 3,000 Yazidi women were enslaved.
She called on the Iraqi government, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the International Criminal Court to recognize what happened in Sinjar as a crime of genocide against humanity, to compensate the victims, intensify efforts to recover the kidnapped, and establish an impartial court to hold perpetrators accountable.
'Until now, there is no clear national vision—neither from Baghdad nor Erbil—to resolve the crisis, despite the magnitude of the tragedy its people endured,' she concluded.
ISIS invaded Sinjar, home to a Yazidi majority, on August 3, 2014. The group massacred men and elderly women and kidnapped more than 5,000 individuals, including women and children.
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