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Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:30 am

Lawsuit against French company

Hundreds of Yazidis on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Lafarge in a bid to hold the French industrial company accountable for providing material support to the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq during the group’s reign of terror

The plaintiffs are a group of Yazidis led by Nobel laureate Nadia Murad who are survivors of ISIS violence in their homeland and the Yazidi heartland of Shingal.

The lawsuit seeks to hold Lafarge accountable for “its admitted criminal conspiracy with ISIS and to obtain justice for Yazidi people,” according to a statement from lawyers for the plaintiffs.

    In October 2022, Paris-based Lafarge pled guilty to having negotiated deals with armed factions in the Syrian civil war, including ISIS and al-Nusra Front, to ensure the continued operation of a cement plant in Syria despite the outbreak of war. A federal court in New York ordered Lafarge and its Syrian subsidiary Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS) to pay financial penalties totaling $777.78 million
Despite pleading guilty and agreeing to pay the penalty to the United States, none of the money was used to pay compensation for the victims and their families.

“It is shocking that a leading global corporation worked hand in hand with ISIS while ISIS was executing American civilians and committing genocide against Yazidis,” human rights lawyer and representative of the plaintiffs, Amal Clooney, said in a statement.

“We hope that this case will send a clear message that supporting terrorists cannot be ‘business as usual’ and that there will be justice for the victims,” she added.

According to the complaint filed by the plaintiffs, Lafarge breached the US anti-terrorism act that holds accountable those who provide support to, aid, and abet, a “foreign terrorist organization.”

Nadia Murad, who was abducted by ISIS during the genocide the group committed against Yazidis in Shingal, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 and is an advocate for survivors of violence.

“Unfortunately, my story is not unique among Yazidis. It is the reality of thousands of Yazidi women. Even more tragic is that our horror took place under the awareness of and thanks to the support of powerful corporations like Lafarge,” she said in a statement.

From August 2013 to October 2014, Lafarge and LCS made approximately $70.3 million in sales revenue. During that time it paid $5.92 million to ISIS and al-Nusra Front and $1.11 million to third-party intermediaries. ISIS obtained an additional $3.21 million after it took possession of the cement plant when LCS abandoned it in September 2014.

ISIS was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. Years later, however, thousands of Yazidis are still living in difficult conditions in camps, unable to return to their homes because of insecurity and lack of reconstruction.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/world/15122023
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Mon Dec 18, 2023 11:23 am

Provincial council elections

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Mir (Prince) of the Yazidis, Hazim Tahsin Beg, in a presser on Sunday urged Yazidis to participate in the provincial council elections so that they may have as many representatives as possible and defend their rights

“The Yazidis have been living in camps for nine years, and their participation in the elections will bring them prosperity and change,” the prince added.

As the Mir, Tahsin Beg is the highest political and religious authority of the entire community.

    However, Tahsin Beg’s legitimacy as prince has been a source of contention in Sinjar since he was appointed in 2019 after his father, the previous prince, died. The rival Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), refuses to acknowledge his legitimacy
On Saturday, “special” voters, including lawmakers, police officers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and military personnel, voted in early balloting.

The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) stated that more than 706,000 out of 1.05 million eligible voters throughout Iraq turned out on Saturday.

Among the notable statistics provided, the disputed territories, or areas claimed by both Baghdad and Erbil, recorded higher than average turnouts across the country, with 75% turnout for Nineveh Province, 70% for Kirkuk Province, and 78% for Diyala Province.

More than a million special voters were eligible to cast their votes throughout Iraq on Saturday. The voting period open to all Iraqi citizens begins on Monday, Dec. 18.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33 ... -elections
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Mon Jan 01, 2024 2:26 pm

Yazidi teen reunites with family in Duhok

After having been taken captive by the Islamic State (ISIS) nearly a decade ago, a 19-year-old Yazidi youth reunited with his family members at a camp in Duhok province on Monday

Hazim Abbas was rescued by the Kurdistan Region Presidency’s Office for Rescuing Kidnapped Yazidi and brought back to his immediate family members at the Chamishko internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Zakho.

Abbas was not ready to speak to journalists and his family did not want to disclose the location that he was rescued from, in fear of jeopardizing the attempts to rescue other family members still being held in the same place.

The moment Abbas arrived at the Chamishko camp, his relatives and other residents of the camp started performing a traditional Kurdish dance.

"Today, one of our captives from Siba Sheikh Khidir has returned. He just arrived at Chamishko [camp] in Zakho. We have all gathered here to welcome him back. We are thrilled to have him reunite with us," Base Qasim, an elderly woman, and a relative of Abbas, told Rudaw.

Bire Hasse, Abbas's grandmother, keeps praying for the return of all the other family members who have yet to be rescued.

"He is my grandson. There are still eight others [grandchildren] in the hands of ISIS. They had taken hostage 15 family members," Hasse said, adding that Abbas's parents are in Australia.

Abdulla Sharim, a member of the Office for Rescuing Kidnapped Yazidis who took part in the process of rescuing Abbas, said it took them three months to rescue him, without disclosing where he was.

"It was easier to rescue our [Yazidi] hostages when ISIS was in power, because we knew exactly where they were, and we knew how to exploit ISIS' weak points and how to deal with this matter," Sharim said, noting that the job has now become more difficult.

"We used to say that with the end of ISIS the Yazidis' wounds would be healed by returning our sons and daughters from captivity. But ISIS has collapsed and not all of them have returned yet."

Of 6,417 Yazidis who were taken hostage by ISIS during a brutal takeover on August 3, 2014, Abbas is the 3,576th person to be rescued so far.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani established the Office for Rescuing Kidnapped Yazidis in 2014 to find and return the missing Yazidi women and children.

On August 3, 2014, ISIS militants took over the Shingal district of northern Iraq, committing genocide against the Yazidi minority. Thousands fled their homes as the militants systematically killed men and older women, and enslaved younger women and children. More than 5,000 Yazidis were killed in the genocide.

Women and young girls were sold into sexual slavery, with young boys forced to fight for the terror group. Over 2,000 Yazidis remain missing.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/271220231
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Jan 12, 2024 8:12 pm

Withdrawal of US troops

A Yazidi activist on Thursday warned that a potential withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and Syria could lead to the reemergence of the Islamic State (ISIS) in both countries, fearing that the group could target Yazidis again

ISIS took control of swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territories in 2014, massacring and abducting thousands of Yazidis.

Murad Ismail, a Yazidi activist and president of Sinjar Academy, told Rudaw’s Dilbxwin Dara on Thursday that a potential withdrawal of American troops in the region could expose his ethno-religious group to potential danger.

“I am one of those who believe that [a potential] US withdrawal from Iraq and Syria will lead to the resurgence of ISIS in the region because ISIS is still active in Syria and Iraq. Thousands of ISIS members operate in these two countries,” he said.

US troops based in Syria and Iraq have come under at least 130 drone and rocket attacks by pro-Iran militia groups since mid-October, according to the Pentagon. Washington has carried out several retaliatory airstrikes against these groups, killing many.

    These developments have spurred militia groups and Shiite politicians to intensify their calls for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani announced efforts to establish a bilateral committee aimed at ending the presence of the US-led coalition against ISIS in the country
Approximately 2,500 American troops are stationed in Iraq, and 900 are in Syria, leading an international coalition known as Operation Inherent Resolve. This coalition has played a crucial role in supporting Kurdish, Iraqi, and local Syrian forces in their efforts against ISIS. Notably, ISIS, which once controlled significant portions of Iraq and Syria, was declared territorially defeated in 2017 and 2019, respectively.

“The US withdrawal will create a security vacuum in the region. The jailed members of ISIS could escape, regroup, and control territories - just like they did in 2014,” warned Ismail.

He emphasized the necessity of maintaining the presence of US troops for the protection of minorities, particularly the Yazidis.

Ismail voiced concern that a US withdrawal could lead to instability, providing an opportunity for groups like ISIS to exploit the situation. He fears that if Americans leave the region, these extremist groups could gain control over certain areas, such as Shingal - the hometown of Yazidis.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/11012024

True, thousands of ISIS members and supporters, operate in both Iraq and Syria but I do NOT see the US being much help

The US bases containing 2,500 American troops in Iraq, and 900 in Syria, are all ILLEGAL

The Yazidi land contains an assortment of illegal armed militia groups, all of which need to be removed so that the Yazidis can return home safely

The UN security council should provide a peacekeeping force
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Jan 12, 2024 8:26 pm

It is more important than ever to remove all armed militia groups from Yazidi lands

Construction of houses for Shingal IDPs

Around 50 dunams of land will be allocated to the construction of residential units for internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Shingal (Sinjar) whose homes have been destroyed, using the town’s reconstruction fund, an Iraqi government official told Rudaw on Wednesday

“The houses will be built using the Shingal and Nineveh Plains Reconstruction Fund and will be given free of charge to the IDPs who are returning to their homeland,” Ali Jihangir, a senior official of Iraq’s Ministry of Migration and Displacement, told Rudaw’s Hastyar Qadir on Wednesday.

Jihangir said that the ministry has reached an agreement with the Nineveh governor’s office to carry out the project, but noted that the number of units and the deadline for completing the project have yet to be determined.

Migration and Displacement Minister Evan Faeq Jabro on Wednesday announced that they have obtained the approval of Nineveh Govenor Abdulqadir al-Dakhil to allocate 50 dunams in Shingal and an additional 50 dunams in Mosul for the construction of residential units to encourage IDPs to return.

The 2023 Iraqi federal budget law established the Shingal and Nineveh Plains Reconstruction Fund which seeks to provide the required budget for the rehabilitation the war-torn province, with an estimated capital of 50 billion dinars (approximately 3.3 million dollars).

    Around 22,000 IDP families originally from Shingal have yet to return home, according to Jihangir
Yazidis in Shingal were subjected to countless heinous atrocities, including forced marriages, sexual violence, and massacres when the Islamic State (ISIS) captured the city in 2014, bringing destruction to many villages and towns populated by the minority group and committing genocide.

Naif Saido, mayor of Shingal, told Rudaw in August that 60 percent of Shingal residents still live in IDP camps and houses in the Kurdistan Region, mainly in Duhok province. He attributed this to political and financial factors as well as the Iraqi government’s failure to rebuild the houses that were destroyed during the war with ISIS.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/110120241
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Tue Jan 23, 2024 12:06 am

Remains of Yezidis Handed to Families

In a special ceremony at the Martyrs Monument in Baghdad on Monday, the bodies of 41 Kurdish Yezidis, who were massacred in the 2014 atrocities committed by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Sinjar, were handed over to their families

The forensic directorate, responsible for examining the recovered bodies, continues its meticulous work on all remains retrieved from graves, ensuring a thorough identification process, the Iraqi health minister said during the ceremony.

ISIS carried out brutal crimes against the Yezidi Kurds in Sinjar in 2014, resulting in the killing of thousands and leaving thousands more missing. Media reports indicate that authorities have identified a total of 89 Yezidi mass graves, with 39 already excavated, revealing the remains of 160 Yezidi men and women. The process of identifying these victims involves sending 500 bodies to the Baghdad forensic department.

Under the oppressive rule of ISIS jihadists, Yezidi citizens were mercilessly killed due to their distinctive ethnic background. The extremists abducted 6,417 Yezidis, with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) rescuing 3,562 of them. However, the fate of the remaining abductees remains unknown.

ISIS also targeted and destroyed 68 Yezidi shrines, forcing nearly 400,000 Yezidi individuals to seek refuge in the Kurdistan Region. To this day, the majority of them remain internally displaced, highlighting the lasting impact of the traumatic events that occurred in 2014.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/837240

What ISIS did to the Yazidis was horrendous

What the world did by the delay in taking action, thereby allowing ISIS to continue it's slaughter and lose of thousands of live was unforgivable

For the past 9 1/2 years the plight of these innocent people has been ignored

The infestation of assorted armed militia groups into Yazidi lands is unacceptable

Thousands of Yazidis are too frightened to return to their homeland

Yazidis forced to live in camps in far worse conditions than prisoners serving a life sentence

The coalition once so happy to bomb Yazidi lands and property in their belated fight to rid the lands of ISIS, have failed to rebuild that which they destroyed

The innocent Yazidis have suffered enough and are still suffering

SHAME ON THE WORLD
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Jan 26, 2024 3:36 am

Funeral Held for Yezidi Women

In a special ceremony on Wednesday, the bodies of 41 Kurdish Yezidi women were laid to rest, years after they were abducted and massacred by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Sinjar

The event came after the Martyrs Monument in Baghdad on Monday handed over the remains of the 41 Yezidi women to their families in a ceremony.

During the ceremony, the Iraqi health minister pointed out that the forensic directorate, responsible for scrutinizing the recovered bodies, continues its meticulous work on all remains retrieved from the graves, ensuring a thorough identification process.

"The forensic directorate continues to conduct examinations on all the bodies that are removed from the graves," the health minister noted.

The ISIS perpetrated brutal crimes against the Yezidi Kurds in Sinjar in 2014, resulting in the killing of thousands and leaving thousands more missing. Reports indicate that authorities have identified a total of 89 Yezidi mass graves, with 39 already excavated, revealing the remains of 160 Yezidi men and women. The identification process involves sending 500 bodies to the Baghdad forensic department.

Under the oppressive rule of ISIS jihadists, Yezidi citizens were mercilessly killed due to their distinctive ethnic background. The extremists abducted 6,417 Yezidis, with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) successfully rescuing 3,562 of them. However, the fate of the remaining abductees remains unknown.

ISIS also targeted and destroyed 68 Yezidi shrines, compelling nearly 400,000 Yezidi individuals to seek refuge in the Kurdistan Region. To this day, the majority of them remain internally displaced, underscoring the enduring impact of the traumatic events that occurred in 2014.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/837450
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Jan 26, 2024 10:42 pm

ISIS woman in Sweden suspected of genocide

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (AFP) - Swedish prosecutors on Thursday said they had asked a Stockholm court to remand in custody a 51-year-old woman suspected of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Yazidis in Syria

The woman, who has been active in the Islamic State group since around 2000, was sentenced by a Swedish court to six years in prison in 2022 for making it possible for her 12-year-old son to be recruited as a child soldier for ISIS, Swedish Radio reported.

She is now suspected of crimes against the Yazidis in 2014-2016 in Raqqa, then the capital of ISIS in Syria.

"The investigation concerns events in Raqqa, Syria from August 2014 to December 2016," prosecutor Reena Devgun said in a statement from the Prosecution Authority.

She provided no other details of the alleged crimes.

In her 2022 conviction, the woman was also found guilty of aggravated war crimes and aggravated crimes against international law, Swedish Radio said.

Sweden's principle of universal jurisdiction allows it to try a case regardless of where the offences took place.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33 ... rosecutors
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Tue Jan 30, 2024 7:50 pm

$150,000 educational project

DUHOK, Kurdistan - The US Consulate in Erbil in collaboration with a Yazidi organization launched a new educational project targeting high school students in Duhok's Sheikhan district, US Consul General to Erbil Mark Stroh announced on Sunday

Since 2019, the US government has provided over $2 million to support the financing of Lalish temple’s restoration, however its support to the Yazidi community goes beyond the temple’s physical restoration.

On Sunday Stroh met with Yazidi leaders, officials and clergymen at Lalish temple, where he reaffirmed his support for the Yazidi community.

During his visit Stroh announced the launch of a new $150,000 educational project targeting residents of Sheikhan district. The project consists in the provision of English classes to 144 high school students from Sheikhan over two years.

“The United States is committed to supporting the Yezidi community and religious and ethnic minorities in the Kurdistan region and Iraq,” said the US Consulate General in a statement on Facebook.

“Today, I am especially thrilled to announce that we have provided an additional $150,000 [US] dollars to the Free Yazidi Foundation to provide two years of after-school and weekend classes to more than 140 high school students in Sheikhan [district] including some of those who reside in the IDP camps to help them better prepare for a better life and careers after school,” said Stroh.

Zozan Hasib, head of the education department at the Free Yezidi Foundation (FYF), said the project’s aim is “to teach English and build the personality of the participants, who are between 13 and 16 years old.”

The Free Yezidi Foundation (FYF) provides support to the Yazidi community in the aftermath of the 2014 Yezidi Genocide at the hands of the Islamic State (ISIS). FYF advocates for the rights and well-being of Yazidis in Iraq and the diaspora, focusing on women's empowerment, justice, and community rebuilding through trauma therapy, education, training, and economic growth.

On August 3, 2014, ISIS militants took over the Shingal district of northern Iraq, committing genocide against the Yazidi minority. Thousands fled their homes as the militants systematically killed men and older women, and enslaved younger women and children. More than 5,000 Yazidis were killed in the genocide.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/290120241

$150,000 [US] dollars

What about compensating Yazidis for all the bombing and destruction of Yazidi lands while attacking ISIS

This year will mark TEN years of death, destruction and horror, with THOUSANDS of Yazidis afraid to return home

Rebuild Yazidi lands - remove armed militia - give Yazidis back their lands
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:07 pm

Yazidi genocide brought back into focus
    Virtual reality pulls Yazidi genocide into focus
Nobody's Listening event transports viewers to northern Iraq and enables them to hear from victims of the atrocities inflicted by ISIS in 2014

The virtual reality headsets come with a warning.

“We strongly recommend, if you are someone who has experienced the crimes committed by ISIS, that you do not take part in this,” Ryan D’Souza tells a group of Yazidi visitors before they try on the headsets.

“That is especially true for survivors of sexual violence.”

Bulky, white and labelled with the words “Nobody’s Listening”, the headsets take those wearing them to Sinjar in Iraq, where ISIS terrorists committed harrowing acts against the Yazidis in 2014.

Mr D’Souza is the founder of Nobody’s Listening, an immersive exhibition created to generate international awareness around the plight of the Yazidis in Iraq.

About 5,000 people were killed during the Yazidi genocide and many remain missing.

So realistic is the VR element that Mr D’Souza worked with a clinical psychologist and human rights lawyer to make sure the exhibition prioritises the welfare of survivors.

Despite his warning to the Yazidi guests, who are visiting the travelling exhibition at the United States Institute for Peace (USIP) in Washington, they begin to test out the technology.

Dejin Khidir, 35, who is visiting the exhibition from the state of Virginia, passes her young son to a family member before placing a headset over her eyes and tightening the straps at the back.

She stands in silence in the spacious and echoing hall while watching the presentation, occasionally walking back and forth as she interacts with storylines.

“It was terrifying to put yourself in that situation,” she tells The National.

“You actually feel like you are in their houses … it was so touching.”

The roughly 13-minute story was created from the accounts of survivors of the genocide, including prominent Yazidi activist Nadia Murad, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for her efforts to end sexual violence in war.

Viewers watch difficult scenes, such as a young Yazidi girl being snatched from her mother by shadowy figures. Another is forced to work as a slave. There are destroyed temples and displaced families who have spent almost a decade living in a refugee camp.

“It took me back to the days when the genocide happened,” says Dakhil Elias, another Yazidi visitor. “Not only did it show me what happened, it took my mind and my heart there.”

The experience also comes with a message.

Mr D’Souza, who has demonstrated the exhibition in Iraq’s Parliament, aims to bring the plight of Yazidis back into focus and hold ISIS fighters accountable for their crimes.

“Only a handful of governments around the world have recognised the crime of genocide against the Yazidis,” he says.

“Our hope is that we’ll have international recognition by all governments by the time of the 10th anniversary in August of this year.”

A decade later, hundreds of thousands of Yazidis are still displaced due to the conflict and succeeding Iraqi governments have failed to rebuild Sinjar

Many are living in refugee camps, mostly inside Iraq, unable to return home.

“The impact on this community has been devastating,” said Sarhang Hamasaeed, an Iraq expert at the USIP.

“The Yazidis need to go home, they need to rebuild their areas and unless those things happen, they will continue to suffer.”

Outside of the VR experience, Nobody’s Listening showcases work from Yazidi artists as well as items that were discovered after ISIS was driven from Sinjar.

Encased in a glass box is a dusty woman’s shoe, likely lost as thousands tried to escape the ISIS onslaught.

Ms Khidir said she hoped the world does not forget about what happened to the Yazidis and called on the international community to bring an end to their suffering.

“The human crisis is still ongoing,” she said.

https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/u ... l-reality/
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sun Feb 04, 2024 11:09 pm

Yezidi Survivor Found in Al-Hol Camp

A Yezidi woman, abducted by Islamic State (ISIS) militants during the infamous 2014 Sinjar massacre, has been discovered in the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria

The announcement came from Farhad Shami, the head of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) media center, revealing that the woman was found during an ongoing security operation.

The liberated survivor, identified as Kovan Aidi Khourto, hails from Hardan village in Sinjar. She became a symbol of resilience, having endured the horrors inflicted by ISIS during their assault on Yezidi communities.

The YPJ has successfully liberated the Yazidi woman Kovan Aidi Khourto from ISIS in the al-Hol camp. Kovan is originally from Hardan village in Shangal, and she was abducted by ISIS during the Shangal/Sinjar massacre in 2014, Shami shared in a post on social media.

This discovery comes amid a broader security operation initiated by the SDF and the Syrian Kurdish Asayish within the al-Hol camp to dismantle ISIS cells. The operation has resulted in the arrest of 37 suspected ISIS members.

The Yezidi community faced unspeakable atrocities in 2014 when ISIS militants attacked Sinjar and nearby villages. Thousands lost their lives, and over 6,000 were abducted, predominantly women and children, approximately 3,000 still missing.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/838532
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Feb 10, 2024 12:05 pm

Yezidi survivor testifies in Erbil
By Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A delegation from the Paris court and the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Interior on Thursday visited Erbil to hear a young Yezidi female survivor use her testimony to investigate a case of crimes against humanity and terrorism in France

The Yezidi victim was allegedly a slavery victim of foreign ISIS terrorist fighters. “An individual is being accused of being part of Daash (ISIS), but the judicial process has not finished yet,” French Consul General Yann Braem told Kurdistan 24 in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

“There was a delegation from the French police, the French prosecutor or the French judge coming to Erbil in order to interrogate one Yezidi victim, who had been presumably a victim, since the legal proceedings have not finished yet.”

“The visit of this delegation from France clearly illustrates that for French judicial authorities, there will be no impunity for the crimes committed against Yezidi’s by French nationals,” French Consul General Braem underlined.

He also added that the visit of the delegation and the judiciary process that is going on is not possible without active cooperation of both Iraqi and Kurdish judicial authorities.

“Their cooperation has been very active and we thank them very much for this, the facilitation and all that has been made in order to allow this French delegation to come to Kurdistan.”

He added that it is important that this delegation was able to come to Erbil to receive the first hand testimony of this young Yezidi victim, who was allegedly enslaved by the wife of a French ISIS foreign fighter. “This will allow us for the first time to confront one person who is accused of terrorism acts, but also crimes against humanity, to confront her with her victim.”

He also added that if the French court condemns the French ISIS suspect, this will allow the Yezidi victim for the first time to get “compensated from what she has suffered.”

In August 2014, ISIS carried out a genocide against the Yezidi community in Sinjar, displacing thousands to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. ISIS also enslaved hundreds of Yezidi women and sold them as slaves. Moreover, ISIS converted Yezidi children to Islam and attempted to use them as child soldiers.

A UN probe concluded in 2021 that crimes committed against Yezidis by ISIS amounted to genocide.

In Oct 2021, judicial authorities in Sweden and France set up a joint investigation team (JIT) to support proceedings involving international crimes committed by foreign ISIS fighters against Yezidis, which led to the identification of a Yezidi victim of a French jihadist couple. The Netherlands and Belgium joined this team last year.

“For France, crimes have to be judged where they took place. But in this case, an individual located in France is prosecuted under the charges of terrorist acts and crimes against humanity at the time of Daesh (ISIS),” French Consul General Braem added. “We want to prosecute them and judge them and if they are found guilty, then we will be put in custody.”

He underlined that any Yezidi victims that were victimized by French foreign ISIS fighters are ‘very much welcome’ to come forward and testify, so that the French judicial authorities will prosecute persons involved in these crimes against humanity.

Yezidi activists have welcomed the judicial measures taken by France against foreign ISIS fighters.

Pari Ibrahim is the Founder and Executive Director of the Free Yezidi Foundation (FYF), told Kurdistan 24 that "every case where the crimes against Yezidis are recognized in a court of law is valuable."

"Most European ISIS members only face terror-related charges, if any charges at all. We know the French war crimes unit and we believe they are committed to bringing charges for atrocity crimes against French nationals who committed such acts in Iraq and Syria,” she added.

Murad Ismail, the co-founder and president of Sinjar Academy, told Kurdistan 24 that individual efforts "by states like the recent one by France are positive, but on the larger scale, they should not replace a mechanism for accountability for the entire Yazidi case, where tens of thousands of Yazidis became victims of genocide."

"We acknowledge that efforts to hold thousands of ISIS members accountable are nearing an end without achieving meaningful justice. The UNITAD mandate is ending, and it is unclear what will happen to the evidence collected. No court will be established, and it seems Yazidis will only see a few trials here and there, without the chance to witness justice for thousands of cases."

"We encourage our friends to work with us to find an alternative and a new mechanism post-UNITAD," Ismail concluded.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33 ... st-Yezidis
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Feb 17, 2024 8:57 pm

Yazidis relive the horror as deportation looms

Recently Germany's "culture of welcome" has given way to a much tougher asylum and immigration policy. Now Yazidi survivors of ISIS genocide face an uncertain, potentially re-traumatising future

One year ago, after the German government recognised Islamic State's 2014 assault on Iraqi and Syrian Yazidis as genocide, the 150,000 Yazidis who had since settled in Germany began to feel they had finally found a home.

But that all changed for Fehima Evdi Derwis, a 32-year-old mother of three in Berlin, when she and her family received deportation orders at the end of last year. "Neighbours called us infidels and Satan worshippers," she told Qantara.de, expressing fears of being forcibly returned to Iraq.

Such persecution was a daily reminder of the terror Yazidis experienced almost a decade ago. An ancient Middle Eastern people who follow a faith that blends elements of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Zoroastrianism, the Yazidis were viewed as pagan devil worshippers by Islamic State.

When the terror group seized vast swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014, they massacred Yazidis and forced thousands of Yazidi women and girls into sex slavery.
Between fear and annihilation: Yazidi refugees in Iraq

Half a million Yazidis fled their historic homeland, with hundreds of thousands ending up in Europe. Fehima and her husband lacked the resources to make the arduous journey. Living in a displaced persons camp in Iraq, they were unable to find work and suffered through four difficult years.

Finally, in 2018, they made their way to Germany, where by that time the warm generosity and openness that had inspired the government to welcome a million asylum-seekers had largely waned.

The situation has since worsened following a stark change in the political landscape. Anti-immigrant sentiment is on the rise with support for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) currently hovering around 20 percent.

In November, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to ramp up deportations of unsuccessful asylum-seekers. Shortly after, a German media report revealed that Baghdad and Berlin had signed a secret deportation agreement that included the return to Iraq of "nationals who do not or no longer fulfill the required conditions for entry, presence or residence in either territory".

Deportation tantamount to re-traumatisation

Up to 10,000 Yazidis are now at risk of deportation to Iraq, according to migration expert Karim Alwasiti of the Refugee Council in Lower Saxony. Most facing possible deportation arrived after 2017 when Germany ruled that Yazidis no longer faced group persecution in Iraq following the territorial defeat of ISIS. They have not been given asylum in Germany, but the much weaker "tolerated" status.

"They survived genocide and now their livelihoods are once again at stake," says Duzen Tekkal, founder of HAWAR, a German NGO that supports Iraqi refugees. "For many, deportation to Iraq is tantamount to re-traumatisation."

Some 200,000 Yazidis are still displaced, with most living in under-funded camps in Iraqi Kurdistan. Electricity and water are scarce, as are medical care and mental health support.

"Women in the camps face an increased risk of gender-based violence, including sexual assault, domestic violence and forced marriage," says Aya Jalal, project coordinator at Jinda, a Dohuk-based NGO that helps women and girls. "The fear of such incidents can have profound psychological effects on a population that has already experienced so much."

    Camp inhabitants mostly come from the devastated Sinjar region and are unable or unwilling to return home. Mass graves, destroyed homes and mines littered across the landscape are reminders of the destruction ISIS left behind. Since Islamic State was pushed out in 2015, armed groups including the Kurdistan Worker's Party – the target of frequent Turkish airstrikes – and Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi have moved in
A 2020 agreement signed by Baghdad and Erbil called for the clearing out of armed groups and the creation of a 2500-strong security force in Iraq's Sinjar has yet to be implemented. "We have many families who returned to Sinjar, but are now back living in the camps as the areas remain unsafe and unstable," says Aya Jalal.

Lottery-style asylum system

Germany's lottery-style asylum system allows each state to make its own decisions on deportation. North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia have banned the deportation of Yazidi women and children until April 2024, though Yazidi men can still be sent back.

Berlin, the state in which Fehima and her family are based, also has a temporary ban in place which ends this month. There is, as yet, no word on what will happen next.

Other states have taken a more hardline stance. In Bavaria, which is run by a coalition of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) and the centre-right Free Voters of Bavaria (FW), a Yazidi family of four, including two young children, was recently forced to return to Iraq. Two older daughters training to become nursing assistants were allowed to remain in Germany for now. They too have tolerated status and are afraid of being returned to Iraq.

Deportation flights to Iraq have steadily increased since last fall. Without a full national ban, Yazidis in Germany face the constant threat of being forced back into the fire. "In Iraq, there is no future for Yazidis and no future for our children," Fehima says, cradling her one-year-old child. "I would rather die in Germany than live in Iraq."

https://qantara.de/en/article/german-im ... tion-looms
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Feb 17, 2024 9:03 pm

Sinjar agreement will help Yazidis

Shafaq News / The President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, stressed the need to carry out the agreement between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to normalize the situation in Sinjar, stating that doing so will benefit the Yazidis

Furthermore, Nechirvan Barzani met with Tobias Lindner, the German Foreign Minister, on Friday night, according to a statement from the President's office.

According to the statement, both parties stressed how critical it is to strengthen Germany's ties with Iraq and Kurdistan and to increase bilateral collaboration. They both agreed that Kurdistan and Iraq's political and security stability are essential to the region as a whole.

The German Foreign Minister emphasized that his nation will keep supporting Iraq and the Region and that it places a high value on the current state of affairs in Iraq.

Barzani, for his part, thanked Germany for its continued assistance to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and praised the German military's participation in the Global Coalition.

Both sides emphasized how important it is to improve the circumstances for the Yazidis and Sinjar.

Nechirvan Barzani confirmed that the Yazidis would be helped by reconstructing Sinjar and returning there if the agreement between Baghdad and KRG to normalize the situation in Sinjar is put into action.

During the meeting, the internal situation and the Regional elections were also discussed. Barzani reaffirmed that the Region will hold elections as soon as possible.

It is noteworthy that the Sinjar Agreement is a historic agreement signed in October 2020 between the Iraqi government and KRG.

Its primary aim is to address the administration and security of the Sinjar district in Iraq, which had been a source of conflict and instability due to its strategic location and its diverse population, including Yazidis, Kurds, and Arabs.

The agreement outlined a framework for governance in Sinjar, including the establishment of a local administration composed of members from various ethnic and religious groups.

It also called for the withdrawal of armed groups from the region, particularly the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which had a significant presence in Sinjar. Additionally, the agreement emphasized the importance of cooperation between the Iraqi government and KRG in implementing security measures and providing essential services to the residents of Sinjar.

While the Sinjar Agreement was hailed as a significant step towards stability in the region, its implementation has faced challenges, particularly regarding the withdrawal of armed groups and the establishment of a unified administration. Nevertheless, it remains a crucial framework for addressing the complex issues in Sinjar and fostering cooperation between different stakeholders in Iraq.

https://shafaq.com/en/Kurdistan/Nechirv ... he-Yazidis
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Re: Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Mar 02, 2024 10:17 pm

Yazidi girl freed after ten years

The Security Media Cell announced today, Saturday, the liberation of a Yazidi girl who was kidnapped by ISIS in 2014

The cell stated in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that “in implementation of the directives of the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, to follow up on the file of the kidnapped Yazidi women, the heroes of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service were able to free the Yazidi girl (Koufan Edo Kharto), who was kidnapped by ISIS gangs terrorist organization after its control of Sinjar district in 2014.”.

INIS added, "The operation was carried out based on accurate intelligence information about her whereabouts in Syrian territory, in order to reach her and return her to Iraq and hand her over to her family, who extended their thanks and gratitude to the Prime Minister and the intelligence service for the continued efforts to follow up on this file.".

https://ina.iq/eng/31664-smc-the-libera ... -isis.html
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