Press Release

Exhumations of Mass Graves in Mosul reveal More Victims of the Yazidi Genocide Date: 27 April 2026 From the 4th to the 20th of April 2026, the technical teams, comprising the Mass Graves Directorate (MGD) at the Martyrs’ Foundation, the Medico Legal Directorate (MLD) at the Ministry of Health, and the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) carried out excavation work at three mass graves located in the Al-Haramat and Al-Mushairfa neighborhoods of Mosul, Iraq. As a result of the excavation, 15 remains were exhumed, including those of at least three Yazidi women. An initial survey conducted in February 2026 by the technical teams led by the MGD, aimed at identifying and assessing sites and setting priorities before starting the excavation. A first phase of the excavation, concluded on the 20th of April 2026, included basic field documentation, such as recording site information and documenting the conditions of discovery, to support both technical and legal requirements. Following this first phase, the MGD transferred all recovered remains to the MLD in Baghdad for laboratory testing and final classification, with the aim of identifying the victims and returning them to their families in a proper and respectful manner. Yazda’s team accompanied the national teams throughout this mission, as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting families of the victims. Since the beginning of this process, Yazda has remained consistently present in the field to help ensure that excavation efforts continue, and that families are supported in their pursuit of truth, dignity, and justice. The uncovered victims were killed by ISIL as part of its genocidal campaign which started on 3rd of August 2014. Within days, thousands were killed and thousands were kidnapped and transferred to ISIL-controlled territory, including to Mosul. Until today, over 2,500 people are still missing, with new mass graves being discovered on a regular basis. --- Download this Press Release here . Read this Press Release in Arabic here . For media inquiries, please contact: info@yazda.org Yazda is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that was established in 2014 in response to the genocide committed by the self-declared Islamic State (ISIS) against the Yazidis and other minorities in Iraq. Yazda manages a portfolio of humanitarian, justice, advocacy, and development-related projects, all of which are community and survivor-centered in terms of design and implementation. Since its inception, Yazda has been working with local and international partners to provide humanitarian, accountability, and advocacy services to vulnerable minority groups in Iraq in their post-genocide recovery. The organization has been operating in Iraq since October 2014 and has main offices in Duhok in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and a branch office in Sinjar in Nineveh Province. Yazda is registered as a non-profit organization in the United States, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Since its creation, Yazda has received support from numerous donors, both institutional and individual, and has reached tens of thousands of direct and indirect beneficiaries through its programs and initiatives.

UPDATE French judge orders trial against female jihadist for complicity in genocide against the Yazidis Lolita C. joined ISIL in Syria in 2014, where she married ISIL fighter Lakhdar S. She is accused of having enslaved an eight-year-old Yazidi girl for more than one month in 2017, amounting to complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity according to the investigative judge. Lolita C. will be the second French woman to face an Assize Court over alleged involvement in the genocide against the Yazidis. No trial date has yet been announced. Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda commented: “The French investigative judges’ decision to send the case to trial marks an important step toward justice for Yazidi women and girls who were subjected to ISIL’s system of enslavement and abuse. It sends a clear message: French authorities recognize that participation in the enslavement of a Yazidi child forms part of a coordinated plan aimed at the destruction, in whole or in part, of the Yazidi community. We commend the French State for their firm commitment to hold their nationals accountable for the crimes committed against the Yazidi people.” These proceedings unfold amid a broader judicial reckoning in France for crimes committed against the Yazidis. In March of this year, the Paris Assize Court convicted French ISIL fighter Sabri E., known as Abu Dojanah al-Faransi, of genocide and crimes against humanity. In March 2027, a further trial is set to open against female ISIL member Sonia M. on charges of genocide against the Yazidis.

Paris, 13 April 2026 Today, the Paris Criminal Court found former executives and security managers of Lafarge SA and its Syrian branch Lafarge Cement Syria guilty of financing terrorism and the violation of international sanctions. This is the first time a French company has been convicted of financing terrorism. Prison sentences range from 18 months to 7 years, with fines ranging from €20,000 to €225,000 (the maximum amount for these crimes) to be paid to the French State. The company itself, Lafarge SA, was sentenced to pay a fine of 1,125,000€, the maximum penalty for a legal person. Bruno Lafont, former CEO, was sentenced to six years in prison and a fine of 225,000€ whereas Christian Herrault , former Director of operations for Syria, received a five-year prison sentence and a 225,000€ fine. Both were arrested today, immediately after the verdict. Bruno Pescheux , Director of the Syrian subsidiary, Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS) received a five-year prison sentence, as well as a fine of 225,000€. Frédéric Jolibois, who replaced Pescheux in this role, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 80,000€. Ahmad Al-Jaloudi and Jacob Waerness , both Security Managers of the factory in Jalabiya were respectively sentenced to two years in prison plus a fine of 20,000€ and 18 months in prison with the same fine. Both were not present at the verdict, and arrest warrants have been issued against them. Amro Taleb , who acted as intermediary between Lafarge and ISIL, received a three-year sentence and a 60,000€ fine. Absent at the verdict hearing, an arrest warrant was issued against him. Finally, Firas Tlass , Syrian businessman and an intermediary between Lafarge and ISIL, was sentenced to seven years in prison, as well as a 225,000€ fine. Absent both at the trial and the verdict, an arrest warrant against him has been renewed. Commenting on the verdict, Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda, stated: “Survivors often tell us that ISIL’s crimes were not committed by a group of individuals alone but were made possible by a broader system. Today’s decision against a company is a powerful recognition of that reality. It sends a clear message: economic actors cannot ignore the consequences of their actions when lives are at stake and when a genocide unfolds in proximity to their operations.” Court’s Findings Throughout the six-week trial held from 4 November 2025 to 19 December 2025, the defendants argued that they were unaware of the terrorist nature of groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham, and ISIL between 2012 and 2014, when payments totaling $5.5 million were made. They denied any criminal intent, claiming the payments resulted from extortion or security constraints, without personal enrichment. However, the Court rejected these arguments. It found that the executives were aware of the terrorist nature of the groups and that Lafarge demonstrated deliberate indifference in continuing its operations. The presiding judge stated: “They discussed, negotiated, and paid in order to continue their operations – even as the factory was surrounded by ISIL.” The judge further recalled that: “On 3 August 2014, only fifteen kilometers from Syria’s border, ISIL began a genocide against the Yazidi people , with mass executions, forced displacement, and the enslavement of women and children.” Yazda’s lawyers Rachel Lindon and Louis Falgas commented: “In the Court’s initial report of the Lafarge case in November last year, the Yazidi genocide was not mentioned. Today the Paris Criminal Court, upon convicting all the parties referred to it, described in detail the suffering of the Yazidi people at the hands of ISIL, sparing no detail as to the forced displacements, the summary executions, mass sexual enslavement and other acts of unfathomable violence endured. This rulling is a steppingstone for Yazda’s continued judicial advocacy.” Role of Civil Society Organizations Yazda acknowledges the essential role of Sherpa and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights ( ECCHR ), alongside former Syrian employees of Lafarge, in initiating the criminal complaint in 2016 and supporting victims throughout nearly a decade of proceedings. Their sustained efforts were instrumental in bringing this case before the French courts and advancing corporate accountability for serious international crimes. Despite their courage and central role in exposing the facts, the former Syrian employees were not admitted as civil parties; their fight for justice continues. Yazda testified alongside these organizations and former employees. On 9 December 2025, Navrouzov addressed the court to urge that the genocide of the Yazidis be given the attention it requires, ensuring that Yazidi voices were heard and that the tribunal fully grasped the consequences of financing terrorist groups. She stressed that “behind the figures, behind the negotiations to keep a factory running, there is the fate of a community. Financing a terrorist group is not a neutral act, it feeds a machine that kills, enslaves, and destroys.” The Court also declared Yazda’s civil party status admissible, recognizing the important role that organizations representing victims of terrorist groups play in the search for the truth. Yazda’s lawyer Luke Vidal commented: “We are pleased that Yazda's civil party application has been declared admissible. This recognition is the culmination of its founding mission: to defend the rights of the Yazidi community whenever criminal proceedings are brought in connection with the genocide of which it was a victim.” Ongoing Proceedings The defendants have 10 days to appeal the decision. If an appeal is filed, the case will be reviewed by a higher court, which may confirm, modify, or overturn the judgment. As such, the convictions and sentences are not yet final. In parallel, the investigation into Lafarge’s potential complicity in crimes against humanity remains ongoing. This separate judicial track, confirmed by French courts and still under investigation, could lead to a future trial, although no timeline has been set for the closing of the investigation. Yazda is a civil party in these proceedings and will continue to actively support the investigation, with the expectation that this part of the case will also be brought to trial. For Yazda and the survivors it represents, this phase is essential: it seeks to establish responsibility not only for financing terrorism, but for the broader system that enabled the commission of international crimes, including the genocide against the Yazidis and crimes against the Syrian civilians. --- Download this Press Release here . Read this Press Release in Arabic here . For media inquiries, please contact: info@yazda.org Yazda is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that was established in 2014 in response to the genocide committed by the self-declared Islamic State (ISIS) against the Yazidis and other minorities in Iraq. Yazda manages a portfolio of humanitarian, justice, advocacy, and development-related projects, all of which are community and survivor-centered in terms of design and implementation. Since its inception, Yazda has been working with local and international partners to provide humanitarian, accountability, and advocacy services to vulnerable minority groups in Iraq in their post-genocide recovery. The organization has been operating in Iraq since October 2014 and has main offices in Duhok in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and a branch office in Sinjar in Nineveh Province. Yazda is registered as a non-profit organization in the United States, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Since its creation, Yazda has received support from numerous donors, both institutional and individual, and has reached tens of thousands of direct and indirect beneficiaries through its programs and initiatives.

Update Hasna A. Case: Dutch Court Upholds Crimes Against Humanity Conviction for Crimes Against Yazidi Survivor Date: 25 March 2026 The Hague, Netherlands – Today, the International Crimes Division of the Court of Appeal of the Hague delivered its verdict in the Hasna A. case, following substantive hearings held from 9 to 11 February 2026. The verdict hearing was publicly livestreamed in Kurdish Kurmanji and Dutch. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction for crimes against humanity and related charges, and sentenced Hasna A. to 9 years’ imprisonment. In first instance, the substantive hearings in Hasna A.’s trial were held before the International Crimes Division of the District Court of The Hague in October 2024, which handed down its judgment on 11 December 2024. The substantive hearings for the appellate proceedings took place in February 2026 and were concluded with today’s judgment, in which Hasna A. was sentenced to 9 years’ imprisonment for: 1) Enslavement as crime against humanity of a Yazidi woman (Z.) 2) Membership of a terrorist organization (ISIL); 3) Preparation and promotion of terrorist crimes by ISIL; and 4) Child endangerment for keeping her underage child, whom she had brought with her to Syria in 2015, in a war zone. The deadline for a cassation appeal is 2 weeks. The press release published by the Court of Appeal is already available , while the judgment itself will be published online in due course. In first instance, Hasna A. was also prosecuted for slavery of a second Yazidi woman (S.), but was unfortunately acquitted of that charge for lack of evidence. For similar reasons, the Public Prosecutor’s Office decided not to pursue the second slavery charges on appeal. Throughout the proceedings in both instances, the Dutch courts provided a secure and semi-public livestream with audio in Dutch and Kurdish Kurmanji, enabling Yazda to organize screenings at its offices in Duhok and Sinjar in December 2024 and February 2026 . This allowed over 80 Yazidi survivors of ISIL captivity to follow the hearings in a safe, trauma-informed environment. In light of strong public interest, today’s hearing was livestreamed through a fully public livestream link, accessible via the court’s website. Survivor Z., who participated in the proceedings as victim, injured party, and witness to the facts, was accompanied by Yazda and supported throughout today’s verdict hearing. Z. commented: “Today’s judgment holds great significance for us. We felt that justice has finally been achieved, restoring our sense of fairness and dignity, despite the fact that I never believed we would one day be able to accomplish this. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Kingdom of the Netherlands for granting us the opportunity to obtain justice that was not available in my country of origin, Iraq.” Brechtje Vossenberg, Z.’s legal representative, commented: “Today, the Court of Appeal not only confirmed the specific role that Hasna A. played in the slavery of Z. and the great impact it had on my client. It also confirmed key facts about the horrific context in which that slavery was committed: ISIL’s 2014-attack on the Yazidi-population and the complex of international crimes it committed in pursuit of its criminal ideology. For my client, this case has always been about the establishment of the truth and about obtaining justice, two things in which her testimony played a decisive role in this trial. This judgment builds on the growing universal jurisdiction case law about international crimes committed against Yazidi’s by ISIL and sends an important signal to both survivors and perpetrators of international crimes alike. On a more personal level, I’m simply very happy for Z. that the appeals proceedings have come to a close and that she was able to see (via the livestream!) justice delivered here today.” Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda, commented: “The way Dutch courts made this proceeding accessible to the broader public, including survivors, is truly groundbreaking and a first in a Yazidi-related case. It reminds us that for justice to be meaningful, it must not only be done but also be seen. We hope other jurisdictions will follow this example.” This case marks a significant milestone in the Netherlands, with Hasna A. becoming the first person in the country to be convicted for crimes committed against the Yazidi community. Alongside a recent genocide conviction in France , it signals growing momentum across Europe to ensure accountability for ISIL crimes. ### Download this Press Release here . Read this Press Release in Arabic here . Read the Op-Ed by our Executive Director on this topic here . For media inquiries, please contact: info@yazda.org About Yazda: Yazda is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that was established in 2014 in response to the genocide committed by the self-declared Islamic State (ISIS) against the Yazidis and other minorities in Iraq. Yazda manages a portfolio of humanitarian, justice, advocacy, and development-related projects, all of which are community and survivor-centered in terms of design and implementation. Since its inception, Yazda has been working with local and international partners to provide humanitarian, accountability, and advocacy services to vulnerable minority groups in Iraq in their post-genocide recovery. The organization has been operating in Iraq since October 2014 and has main offices in Duhok in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and a branch office in Sinjar in Nineveh Province. Yazda is registered as a non-profit organization in the United States, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Since its creation, Yazda has received support from numerous donors, both institutional and individual, and has reached tens of thousands of direct and indirect beneficiaries through its programs and initiatives.

From March 17 to March 21, 2026, the Paris Criminal Court heard five days of proceedings in the case against Sabri Essid, a French ISIL member charged with genocide and crimes against humanity against Yazidi women and children. The following provides a day-by-day updates of the key testimonies, evidence, and legal developments presented during the trial. Sabri Essid Trial Update – Day 1 17th March 2026 Trial opens against Sabri Essid, French ISIL member charged with genocide and crimes against humanity against Yazidi women and children. The presiding judge opened with a detailed contextual report on the Yazidi religion, retraced the 2014 ISIL attack on Sinjar and the unfolding genocide, as well as its physical, psychological, social, and economic consequences on the community to this day. He detailed the systematic kidnapping and separation of women and girls who were distributed and sold among ISIL members and subjected to domestic and sexual slavery. Men were forced to choose between conversion or being killed. “Convert or die.” “I’m still alive, but I’m dead inside.” An investigator from the French Central Office for the Prevention of Violence Against Persons relayed the testimony of two witnesses and their children about the horrors they endured during their captivity, held by Sabri Essid and several other ISIL members. Their extraordinary courage to testify during the investigation eventually led to the identification of Sabri Essid, and made this trial possible. A map produced by Yazda was projected to show the locations of mass graves in Sinjar, and several Yazda reports have been filed in the case. The investigative judges also relied on reports from NGOs and international organizations including UN entities such as UNITAD and IIIM. A witness from French domestic security services detailed Sabri Essid’s radicalization and departure to Syria. He first went to Syria in 2006 and made several trips back and forth over the years. His network included several known Salafists and radical Islamists in France, among them Mohamed Merah, who carried out the 2012 Toulouse attacks, and the two Clain brothers, one of whom is known as “the voice of ISIL”. “Sabri Essid was no ordinary figure.” Witness of the French domestic security services on Sabri Essid’s role in ISIL’s security apparatus, also called Amni. Sabri Essid has been identified as particularly violent towards his captives, who reported daily rapes, corporal punishment for non-obedience, and deprivation of food and water. According to the French domestic security services, there exists no certainty about either the date or the circumstances of his death. Multiple contradictory versions of Sabri Essid’s presumed death circulated within ISIL, some saying he was killed in conflict, others relating he stepped on a landmine. The Prosecutor, for her part, pointed out that, as a matter of fact, Sabri Essid’s death is far from certain. Sabri Essid Trial Update – Day 2 18th March 2026 During the second day of the trial, Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director of Yazda, testified at the Court, highlighting: “The genocide has deeply fractured the Yazidi community: families have been shattered and dispersed across the globe, and our religion, culture, and language are under threat. Achieving justice including by safeguarding Yazidi cultural and religious identity is a moral imperative. If we fail, the Yazidi identity could disappear within a few generations, and ISIL will have achieved its goal.” The day started with the testimony of Bazhad Farhan on behalf of the association Kinyat, which contributed to the documentation of ISIL crimes since the beginning of the genocide. With maps, he explained how ISIL’s attack unfolded from Tal Afar to Sinjar. He also focused on the key role occupied by social media in the sale and resale of Yazidi slaves, and how prices were higher for little girls. He also noted that, according to victims’ testimonies, foreign fighters were often the most violent. The court then heard from three experts who have documented the systematic nature of ISIL crimes, with a focus on the highly organized system of slave trade, which was at the core of ISIL’s apparatus. “I have never met Yazidis who had been captured, who had not been subjected to violence” – Sareta Ashraph, Barrister specialized in international criminal law. “The purpose of the propaganda materials used was to justify the reduction of the Yazidis to slavery” – Rosalind Sipos, lawyer at the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM). “Documentary evidence clearly shows that Daesh’s policy aimed to destroy the Yazidi population in whole or in part” – Stephanie Barbour, investigator at the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA) Sabri Essid Trial Update – Day 3 19th March 2026 Trial against Sabri Essid, French ISIL member, charged with genocide and crimes against humanity against Yazidi women and children continues with the testimonies of additional parties. The hearings started with the testimonies of two former female ISIL members. The first one was heard behind closed doors without the public. The second person heard was Leila Ouadi, Sabri Essid’s former wife. She was questioned about Essid’s activities within ISIL. She recounted his violent behavior and how he forced her son to execute an Israeli hostage for a propaganda video. She acknowledged having been aware of the genocide committed against the Yazidi people as well as the attacks on Sinjar, the massacre of the men, and the capture and enslavement of the women and children. She explained that within ISIL, the Yazidis were referred to as “devil worshippers.” In the afternoon, Pari Ibrahim, Executive Director of the Free Yazidi Foundation (FYF), testified about the physical and psychological harm that Yazidi women and children have endured, and some continue to endure. Harm that, for many, will last a lifetime. Ibrahim also highlighted the suffering of Yazidi children, whose unique trauma is often overlooked and compounded by the loss of years of education and the opportunity to develop their identities. “Behind each number, there is a name, a face, an identity, a story.” – Pari Ibrahim, Free Yazidi Foundation. The day concluded with the reading of statements from one of the survivors who participated in the investigation but has withdrawn from the proceedings. Together with another survivor, she was kept by Essid in an ISIL detention center in Mayadeen in particularly harrowing living conditions and a total lack of medical care when it was needed. He raped both several times and forced them to take the contraceptive pill. “ My body is a wreck, but thankfully I have my children” – a Yazidi survivor Sabri Essid Trial Update – Day 4 20th March 2026 The hearing started with one survivor bravely taking the stand to tell her story. She described her capture by ISIL, and how she was then sold to eight members. She recounted having been raped, including by Sabri Essid, sometimes in front of her daughter. She explained that her life is destroyed, but that she is holding on for her daughter’s sake. “As the President of this court, I have been confronted to testimonies of the most horrific crimes. But what you have told me today, I have never heard it before.” - President of the Court Another survivor then courageously stood before the court to relate the horrors ISIL has inflicted on her and her children. She was transferred by Sabri Essid with her children from one of her captors to an ISIL woman, Lina Ishaq who enslaved them five months. The same survivor testified against Lina Ishaq in Sweden which led to her conviction for genocide and crimes humanity in 2025 for enslaving Yazidi women and children. “I would have preferred to be killed rather than raped.” - She testified. In the afternoon, the son of a survivor who contributed to the investigation came forward, and the President used his discretionary power to allow him to be heard. As one of the few survivors of the mass graves in Kocho, he gave a chilling account of ISIL’s attack on his village and the separation from his family. He also highlighted how he had to work for years to “buy” back his mother and sister and free them from captivity. “Those who took part in this genocide are a great danger to humanity.” - He testified. Finally, the lawyers of the civil parties made their final pleadings. They underlined ISIL’s intention to destroy the Yazidi community and demonstrated that the enslavement of Yazidi women and children by Sabri Essid was committed to attain this goal. “This trial is an opportunity to go beyond the process itself and to make the pain of the Yazidi people known.” - Patrick Baudouin, lawyer of the FIDH and LDH “In light of the magnitude of the crimes, this trial in France is imperfect and partial justice but it is the only available space for Yazidi survivors.” - Clémence Bectarte, lawyer of the Yazidi survivors in this case Yazda’s lawyers underlined the widespread, and particularly systematic nature of the attack, demonstrating that it was premeditated and had been prepared for several months. Further, they explained that the genocide is still ongoing, and that survivors are left with a constant sense of insecurity and fear. The fact that the enslavement and sexual enslavement of Yazidi women and girls, as well as the indoctrination of Yazidi boys, continue to this day demonstrates the difficulties involved in bringing the genocide to a definitive end and providing effective protection to the victims. - Justine Vinet, lawyer for Yazda The Yazidi community stands out for its solidarity and resilience. Its members have spoken out, and continue to do so, despite their fear and the pain that resurfaces with every word. Not by choice but to carry the memory of those who can no longer do so. - Marie Lehmon, lawyer for Yazda Sabri Essid Trial Update – Day 5 21st March 2026 Trial against Sabri Essid, French ISIL member, charged with genocide and crimes against humanity against Yazidi women and children concludes with the closing arguments of the Attorney General and the announcement of the verdict. Attorney General Sophie Havard called for Sabri Essid’s conviction for genocide, complicity in genocide, crimes against humanity, and complicity in crimes against humanity, and requested a sentence of life imprisonment. She noted the singular nature of the genocide against the Yazidis and recalled that this court is the first French jurisdiction to rule on the crimes committed by ISIL against the Yazidis. “The Yazidi women and children were property, of which Sabri Essid and the other members of ISIL disposed freely.” - Attorney General Sophie Havard In the afternoon, the presiding Judge pronounced the verdict and found Sabri Essid guilty on all charges. A press release on the decision can be found on Yazda’s website. “The decision of the Paris Criminal Court marks a crucial step in the fight against impunity for ISIL fighters, whose crimes should not only be prosecuted under terrorism charges but also as international crimes – including genocide – against civilians and ethnic and religious communities.” - Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director of Yazda

French ISIS member Sabri Essid convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity against Yazidis The in absentia trial of Sabri Essid (alias Abou Dojanah al-Faransi), a French jihadist and former high-official of the Islamic State (ISIS), concluded on 20 March 2026. The Paris Criminal Court found him guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, and complicity in these crimes, committed against Yazidi women and their children, and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Paris, 20 March 2026. For the first time, a French national has been convicted of genocide. This is also the first time that a French court has issued a judgement relating to the atrocities committed by ISIS against the Yazidi community. French ISIS member Sabri Essid was found guilty of committing, between August 2014 and throughout 2016, genocide and crimes against humanity against two Yazidi women and children in Syria. He was also convicted of complicity in these crimes for having participated in the transfer of an enslaved woman and her children in 2015. “Nearly 12 years after the genocide began, the Paris Criminal Court’s decision is a decisive acknowledgment by French justice of the atrocities committed by ISIS against the Yazidi community. It establishes Sabri Essid’s responsibility in the crimes suffered by the survivors who testified with courage and dignity throughout the investigation and the trial”, said Bahzad Farhan, President of Kinyat . “This verdict was achieved through the courage and determination of the Yazidi survivors, who attach great value to this first conviction of a French ISIS member for genocide and crimes against humanity.”, said Clémence Bectarte, lawyer of the civil parties. From a legal perspective, this decision establishes two key findings: on the one hand, it formally acknowledges that the Islamic State acted pursuant to a concerted plan, demonstrating that the organisation meticulously orchestrated its persecution campaign against the Yazidis, even before the attack on Mount Sinjar in August 2014. On the other hand, the judgement establishes that Sabri Essid not only committed acts of genocide as a direct perpetrator, including serious bodily or mental harm constituting genocide, as well as acts of enslavement, imprisonment, torture, rape, persecution and other inhuman acts constituting crimes against humanity against Yazidi women and their children, but can also be considered liable as an accomplice for his participation in the transfer of a Yazidi survivor and her family from one site of enslavement to another. In 2019, based on information provided by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Kinyat, along with testimonies of Yazidi survivors, French authorities identified Sabri Essid and six of his victims, leading to the opening of a judicial investigation. Five years later, in 2024, the investigating judges ordered that Sabri Essid be sent to trial before the Criminal Court. FIDH, Kinyat, the Free Yezidi Foundation (FYF), Yazda and the Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH) joined the case as civil parties, alongside three Yazidi victims and their eight children. “The decision of the Paris Criminal Court marks a crucial step in the fight against impunity for ISIS fighters, whose crimes should not only be prosecuted under terrorism charges but also as international crimes – including genocide – against civilians and ethnic and religious communities” said Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director of Yazda. Sabri Essid is presumed to have died in Syria in 2018. However, given the uncertainties surrounding the circumstances and the veracity of his death, the Court decided to try him in abstentia. This judgement ensures that he can be arrested and imprisoned if he were to reappear in the future. Sabri Essid would also be entitled to request a retrial. “While these judgments are crucial, justice and accountability for crimes committed by ISIS cannot overshadow the ongoing challenges faced by the Yazidi community in Iraq, who continue to live under severe psychological stress and security threats,” said Pari Ibrahim, Executive Director of the Free Yezidi Foundation (FYF) . “The resurgence of ISIS in the region remains a significant danger to the community’s future”. ### Download the press release here . For an Arabic version of the press release, please click here . For media inquiries, please contact: info@yazda.org About Yazda: Yazda is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that was established in 2014 in response to the genocide committed by the self-declared Islamic State (ISIS) against the Yazidis and other minorities in Iraq. Yazda manages a portfolio of humanitarian, justice, advocacy, and development-related projects, all of which are community and survivor-centered in terms of design and implementation. Since its inception, Yazda has been working with local and international partners to provide humanitarian, accountability, and advocacy services to vulnerable minority groups in Iraq in their post-genocide recovery. The organization has been operating in Iraq since October 2014 and has main offices in Duhok in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and a branch office in Sinjar in Nineveh Province. Yazda is registered as a non-profit organization in the United States, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Over the past 8 years, Yazda has grown to employ around 80 staff on average, received support from numerous donors, both institutional and individual, and has reached tens of thousands of direct and indirect beneficiaries through its programs and initiatives.

Date: 19 March 2026 Paris, France – On 17 March, Yazda’s Executive Director, Natia Navrouzov, testified before the Paris Assize Court in the trial of Sabri Essid, the first case in France addressing charges of genocide and crimes against humanity committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) against the Yazidi community. This landmark trial marks a moment of profound significance for the Yazidi people and represents a critical step toward justice and accountability. Speaking both as Yazda’s Executive Director and as a member of the Yazidi community, Navrouzov recalled how Yazidis have grown up with a collective memory of repeated persecution and genocide, shaping her lifelong commitment to justice. Drawing on her personal and professional experience, she outlined the origins and evolution of the genocide. She recalled that more than 5,000 Yazidi men and elderly women were executed, while approximately 6,800 women and children were abducted. Tens of thousands fled to Mount Sinjar, where they were trapped without food or water in extreme heat. She also stressed that Yazidis were not only victims, but also resisted, with hundreds remaining on Mount Sinjar to fight ISIL until the area was retaken. Navrouzov noted that Yazda was founded just three weeks after the attacks and has since provided sustained humanitarian support to Yazidis, both in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and in Sinjar. She further highlighted Yazda’s extensive documentation efforts since 2015, launched to prevent the loss of evidence and denial of the genocide. These efforts have resulted in an archive comprising thousands of survivor testimonies and evidence from more than 170 crime sites, including mass graves, execution sites, and destroyed cultural heritage locations. This body of evidence has been instrumental in producing reports submitted during the trial and in assisting authorities in multiple countries to identify key survivors and witnesses. Navrouzov emphasized that Yazda’s work has already contributed to concrete judicial outcomes, including cases in Germany that led to the first convictions for genocide against Yazidis and helped pave the way for prosecutions across Europe. She also stressed that the genocide’s consequences continue today. More than 2,500 Yazidis remain missing, mass graves are still being exhumed, remains are being identified, and approximately 150,000 Yazidis continue to live in displacement camps, while Sinjar remains unstable and largely destroyed. Navrouzov further emphasized that the genocide has produced both visible and less visible forms of prejudice and marginalization against the Yazidi community. Addressing the court, she stated: “The genocide has deeply fractured the Yazidi community: families have been shattered and dispersed across the globe, and our religion, culture, and language are under threat. Achieving justice including by safeguarding Yazidi cultural and religious identity is a moral imperative. If we fail, the Yazidi identity could disappear within a few generations, and ISIL will have achieved its goal.” She concluded by honoring the courage of the women and children involved in the case. She noted that Yazidi women, particularly widows, continue to endure profound psychological, physical, and economic hardship. Yet despite these challenges, they remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice for themselves and their community. Turning to the children, she stressed that they are among the most overlooked victims of the genocide, having been subjected to abduction, indoctrination, and violence. She called for their needs and voices to be fully integrated into both humanitarian and judicial responses to ensure they are not forgotten. The trial is scheduled to conclude on 20 March, with a verdict expected the same day. ### Download the press release here. For an Arabic version of the press release, please click here . For media inquiries, please contact: info@yazda.org About Yazda: Yazda is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that was established in 2014 in response to the genocide committed by the self-declared Islamic State (ISIS) against the Yazidis and other minorities in Iraq. Yazda manages a portfolio of humanitarian, justice, advocacy, and development-related projects, all of which are community and survivor-centered in terms of design and implementation. Since its inception, Yazda has been working with local and international partners to provide humanitarian, accountability, and advocacy services to vulnerable minority groups in Iraq in their post-genocide recovery. The organization has been operating in Iraq since October 2014 and has main offices in Duhok in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and a branch office in Sinjar in Nineveh Province. Yazda is registered as a non-profit organization in the United States, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Over the past 8 years, Yazda has grown to employ around 80 staff on average, received support from numerous donors, both institutional and individual, and has reached tens of thousands of direct and indirect beneficiaries through its programs and initiatives.

First Trial on Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity Committed Against Yazidis Opens in France

On 3 March 2026, Yazda and eyeWitness to Atrocities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formalizing cooperation to strengthen Yazda’s secure and ethical documentation of human rights violations that can amount to core international crimes. eyeWitness to Atrocities combines law and technology to promote accountability for serious international crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture. Established under the auspices of the International Bar Association, the organization provides a camera app that captures verifiable photos, videos, and audio with embedded metadata so the footage can be used in investigations and court proceedings. Yazda is a global Yazidi-led, survivor-centered organization dedicated to protecting the rights of the Yazidi community and supporting survivors of atrocities committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Established in 2014 following the Yazidi genocide in Iraq, Yazda works across justice and accountability, advocacy, humanitarian assistance, and community recovery, including supporting the documentation and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed against Yazidis. The MoU establishes a framework for the use by Yazda of the eyeWitness app when documenting ISIL crimes. Under the agreement, eyeWitness will provide technical training, secure storage, metadata verification, and strategic guidance to support Yazda’s accountability efforts. Yazda’s collected data will, in return, be jointly analyzed and submitted to relevant national and international mechanisms to support investigations and accountability efforts for international crimes. This partnership marks an important step in strengthening survivor-centered documentation and accountability efforts for the crimes committed against the Yazidi community. By combining Yazda’s field expertise with eyeWitness to Atrocities’ technology and legal framework, the collaboration aims to ensure that evidence of international crimes is preserved and can support future justice processes. #Yazda #eyeWitnesstoAtrocities #Documentation #YazidiGenocide