Sunday 3 August 2025 marks the 11th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide. Genocide is defined as the prohibited acts committed with the specific intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. On this day in 2014, Daesh (also known as IS, ISIS, ISIL or Islamic State) attacked Sinjar, in the Republic of Iraq and committed atrocities against the Yazidi community. Daesh killed many men and the elderly, with mass graves continuing to be uncovered. Boys were abducted and forced to become child soldiers, and women and girls were enslaved and turned into sex slaves and subjected to abuse daily. Following Sinjar, Daesh attacked the Nineveh Plains, forcing more than 120,000 Christian minorities to flee.

On the 11th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) reiterates its commitment to raising awareness of the situation of the Yazidis, advocating for legal reforms and supporting the Yazidi community in pursuit of justice and accountability.

Today, around 2,600 Yazidi women and children remain enslaved. Despite the location of many of them being known, efforts to rescue them have been limited. The ongoing persecution underscores that the genocide is not over, suffering persists and the community remains vulnerable. As media coverage diminishes, the plight of the Yazidis is being overlooked, further endangering their safety and rights.

Dr Ewelina Ochab, IBAHRI Senior Programme Lawyer, commented: ‘The sort of atrocities as those committed by Daesh demand comprehensive legal and political responses that fully reflect the nature and scale of the crimes. The current impunity, especially for foreign fighters returning to Europe, is unacceptable. The United Kingdom’s failure to prosecute the alleged perpetrators cannot be justified. Many of these individuals have faced little to no accountability, which is a stain on our collective conscience. We must do more to ensure justice is served and prevent future atrocities.’

Pari Ibrahim, Executive Director of the Free Yezidi Foundation, stated: ‘Yezidis now commemorate 11 years since the genocide began. Once again, the top priority of our community is to identify and rescue the missing – nearly 2,600 Yazidis are still held captive in Syria, Turkey and elsewhere. Beyond this, Sinjar remains in disrepair, and serious efforts must be made to facilitate the return of Sinjar's residents and a secure, dignified life where the well-being and interests of Yazidis are considered.’

Some of the legal failures towards the Yazidis have been recognised in a report on accountability for Daesh crimes from the United Kingdom’s Joint Committee on Human Rights. The report highlights the UK’s failures in addressing the issue of British Daesh fighters returning to the UK and escaping justice. The report reveals that only 32 British Daesh fighters were convicted upon their return to the UK, out of more than 400 returnees. Those 32 were convicted and sentenced for their involvement in terror-related offences only. The report further sheds light on the challenges in dealing with international crimes under UK legislation, particularly the International Criminal Court Act 2001, which fails to include effective provisions pertaining to the principle of universal jurisdiction. These constraints make it difficult for the UK to support international efforts to prosecute perpetrators of international crimes committed abroad.

The IBAHRI has been raising the situation for the Yazidi community for many years and has long advocated for strengthened legal responses. Notably, in 2023, the IBAHRI published a comprehensive mapping report looking into the legal responses to date, identifying gaps in current legal frameworks and offering recommendations to address them. The same year, the IBAHRI testified before the UK’s Joint Committee on Human Rights’ Daesh Inquiry highlighting shortcomings in prosecuting foreign fighters and the limitations of existing laws.

In July 2024, the IBAHRI joined three major Yazidi-led organisations – the Free Yezidi Foundation, Yazda and Sinjar Academy – and the Coalition for Genocide Response in submitting concerns and recommendations to the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review – Iraq. The recommendations included: calls for Iraq to halt trials for terror-related offences that do not follow due process; amendments to Iraqi criminal law – in consultation with survivors, Iraqi civil society organisations and legal experts – to criminalise genocide and other international crimes; and to ensure that Iraq works with the international community to establish a specialised ad hoc tribunal to prosecute Daesh crimes.

As part of its efforts to support justice for the Yazidi community, the IBAHRI is providing a secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Yazidis, engaging parliamentarians and the UK government on the issue. Also, with the Iraqi government announcing the impending closure of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD), the IBAHRI has been working on a proposal for a follow-up mechanism to ensure continued evidence collection and justice efforts.

Ms Ibrahim continued: ‘Over the course of the genocide, tens of thousands of ISIS members perpetrated horrific crimes against our people, including enslavement, rape and executions. The only perpetrators held accountable for genocide have been in Europe, and these are very few. Tribunals should be held, and all ISIS perpetrators and accomplices should be carefully scrutinised based on the solid evidence collected by Yezidi civil society, UNITAD and the Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Government security services. Instead, justice has eluded the Yezidi community and impunity reigns. Justice must be seen to be strong and stand above the shoulders of everyone, especially those who committed genocide against our people.’

ENDS

Contact: IBAHRI@int-bar.org

Notes to the reader

1. Click here to read the IBAHRI report Justice and Accountability for the Atrocities of Daesh - Progress Made and the Way Forward (2023).
2. Related material:
   • IBAHRI welcomes the UK government’s recognition of the Yazidi genocide
3. The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), established in 1995 under Founding Honorary President Nelson Mandela, is an autonomous entity working to promote, protect and enforce human rights under a just rule of law, and to preserve the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession worldwide.
4. Find the IBAHRI on social media here:
   • x.com/IBAHRI
   • www.facebook.com/IBAhumanrights
   • www.linkedin.com/in/iba-human-rights-institute/
5. The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, is the foremost organisation for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. Established in 1947, shortly after the creation of the United Nations, with the aim of protecting and promoting the rule of law globally, the IBA was born out of the conviction that an organisation made up of the world's bar associations could contribute to global stability and peace through the administration of justice.

Website page link for this news release:
Short link: tinyurl.com/4889crsc
Full link: www.ibanet.org/IBAHRI-calls-for-justice-and-support-for-Yazidi-community-on-11th-anniversary-of-genocide