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Date: 13 August 2025 On 5 August 2025, the Medico-Legal Directorate (MLD) of Iraq’s Ministry of Health announced the identification of 22 Yazidi victims killed by ISIL/Daesh during its genocidal campaign against the Yazidi community, which began on 3 August 2014. The identified victims were from the villages of Ger-Zarik, Gurmez, Hardan, Kocho, Solagh, Tel Azer, and Tel Qasab. This marks the eighth batch of remains returned to Sinjar since exhumations began in March 2019, led by the Iraqi Mass Graves and Missing Persons Directorate (MGMPD) and the MLD, with support from UNITAD (until its closure in 2024) and the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). To date, 297 victims have been identified and laid to rest, out of 734 remains recovered so far. The identification process continues for the remaining 437 sets of remains. The remains were handed over to their families during a solemn ceremony at the Yazidi Genocide Memorial site in Solagh, Sinjar, followed by official burials conducted in accordance with Yazidi religious traditions. The ceremony was attended by members of the Yazidi community, who gathered to mourn and honor the victims. Yazda extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the wider Yazidi community on this painful day, coming less than two weeks after the 11th anniversary of the genocide. -END- Download this press release here . Read this Press Release in Arabic 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.

August 3, 2025 Sinjar, Iraq – Today marks eleven years since the Yazidi community was targeted for annihilation by the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The attacks led to the mass killing, abduction, and displacement of thousands of Yazidis. Families were torn apart, communities destroyed, and lives changed forever. On this solemn day of remembrance, Yazda stands in solidarity with the Yazidi people to honor the victims of the genocide. A public tribute is taking place at the Genocide Memorial in Sinjar, where survivors, families, and allies gather to pay their respects and renew the call for justice. This day is not only about mourning what was lost, it is a call to action. In a recent report, Yazda surveyed 601 Yazidi survivors, who identified their top priorities for the future: The search for missing loved ones (71%) The exhumation of mass graves (64%) Improved security in Sinjar (45%) Reconstruction of destroyed hometowns (41%) Access to justice (39%) These priorities are not mere demands—they are essential components of a comprehensive transitional justice process. They reflect survivors’ enduring need for truth, justice, reparations, and guarantees of non-repetition. Yazda’s report urges the Government of Iraq, with the backing of the international community, to develop a multi-year national transitional justice strategy grounded in survivor participation and centered on their rights. Yazda reaffirms its commitment to the survivors, to the families of those lost, and to the future of the Yazidi people. We call on the Government of Iraq and global partners to take meaningful, coordinated action to ensure justice, safety, and the rebuilding of Sinjar. The Yazidi community must never endure such atrocities again. We remember and we continue to fight for truth, justice, and lasting peace. -END- Download the press release here . Read the press release in Arabic 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.

August 2, 2025 Erbil, Iraq – Yazda has released a groundbreaking report titled “Implementing the Yazidi Survivors Law: A Review by and for Yazidi Survivors” , marking the first large-scale assessment of survivors on the Yazidi Survivors’ Law (YSL), four years after its adoption by the Iraqi Parliament and two years after the beginning of its implementation. The Yazidi Survivors Law is a groundbreaking legislation providing a wide range of individual, collective, material and symbolic reparation measures to survivors of ISIL crimes including financial compensation, access to education, land, employment opportunities, and psychosocial support. Importantly, it formally recognizes the crimes committed by ISIL against Yazidi, Turkmen, Shabak, and Christian communities as genocide and crimes against humanity. Drawing on the assessment of over 600 Yazidi survivors of ISIL captivity and 34 civil society organizations , the report presents an assessment of the YSL’s impact on survivors' lives, the barriers survivors face in accessing reparations, and their broader demands for truth, justice, and recovery. “We thought we would be forgotten like so many others, but the Yazidi Survivors Law gave us back our names, our rights, and our dignity. For the first time in years, we feel seen and protected,” said one Yazidi survivor of the Kocho massacre interviewed in the report. While over 2,400 survivors have received financial reparations and 250 have been granted residential land, Yazda’s research finds that many survivors continue to face a lengthy, costly and burdensome application process which lacks a trauma informed and survivors-centered approach: 60% of survivors assessed struggled with travels and 45% with the extensive documentation requirements. Moreover, many survivors remain unaware of their full rights under the law. Yazda’s report also highlights survivors’ priorities in the implementation of the law. 71% of assessed survivors identified the search for missing relatives as their top concern, followed by the exhumation of mass graves (64%), the improvement of security in Sinjar (45%), the reconstruction of hometowns (41%), and access to justice (39%). Survivors' set of priorities illustrate that the YSL cannot exist in isolation and its success depends on the implementation of a broader transitional justice framework in Iraq. As survivors have expressed, the full range of their rights - truth, justice, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence – must be realized through a comprehensive, inclusive, and survivor-informed national process. The report notably calls on the Government of Iraq, with the support of the international community to: Remove burdensome procedural barriers and ensure the application is survivors-centered, trauma-informed and limits the harm on survivors; Ensure the full implementation of all YSL provisions, including access to employment, education, and psychosocial support; Prioritize the search for missing persons and the exhumation of all remaining mass grave; Develop a multi-annual national transitional justice strategy centered on survivor participation and rights. The report is part of Yazda’s Transitional Justice and Rehabilitation Project and reflects over a decade of advocacy and support to survivors of ISIL atrocities. Read the full report: https://www.yazda.org/publications/implementing_the_yazidi_survivors_law Download the press release here . Read the press release in Arabic here .

Erbil, 28 July 2025 — Eleven years after ISIL’s genocidal campaign against the Yazidi community, Yazda convened 300 participants in Erbil for a survivor-led conference focused on justice, accountability, and collective healing. Survivors, government officials, diplomats, UN representatives, religious and civil society actors gathered to reflect on the continuing impact of the genocide and to call for action rooted in survivor leadership. “This is more than a commemoration, it is a call to action, shaped by survivors themselves over the past months,” said Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director of Yazda. “Survivors are not just beneficiaries. They are advocates and experts in rebuilding after loss, in defining justice, and in holding memory and future in the same hands.” The event marked the graduation of 46 participants from the Know Your Rights (KYR) Program, a survivor-led training program designed by Yazda and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) through its SPACE program. The KYR Program provided survivors in Sinjar and Duhok with training in transitional justice, advocacy, and ethical media engagement. “This program taught me how and where to begin demanding our rights,” said Sufyan, one graduate and Yazidi survivor of mass execution. “As survivors, we will keep speaking up until this genocide is never repeated and our rights are fully realized.” Yazda also launched its new report, Implementing the Yazidi Survivors Law: A Review by and for Yazidi Survivors. Drawing on surveys with 601 survivors and 34 organizations, the new report offers the most comprehensive review to date of the Yazidi Survivors Law (YSL). It highlights slow implementation, protection gaps, and the urgent need for survivor inclusion in all aspects of transitional justice. It also calls for a broader, survivor-centered framework that goes beyond reparations to include truth, criminal accountability, and guarantees of non-recurrence. Interventions from Yazidi, Shabak, and Christian survivors as well as a representative of the Speicher camp massacre made clear the enduring trauma and unmet demands for justice. “We are not just victims. We are survivors. We are strong, and we have a voice,” said Hala Safil Amo, a prominent Yazidi advocate and survivor. “If justice is not served today, we will remind you of it tomorrow.” The conference also featured panel discussions on survivor-centered advocacy, implementation of the YSL, and the search for the missing as well as exhumations of mass graves. Guests were invited to experience the award-winning VR exhibition Nobody’s Listening , developed by Upstream and Yazda, which immerses visitors in the lived experiences of Yazidi survivors. Despite global recognition of the genocide, Yazidis remain displaced, Sinjar remains unstable, and thousands are still missing. Yazda’s event called for stronger national mechanisms to prosecute international crimes, implement the YSL fully, and place survivors at the center of Iraq’s justice efforts. Download the press release here . Read the press release in Arabic here .

Date: June 12, 2025 - In a compelling address before the UN Security Council on 10 June, Dr. Mohamed Al Hassan, Special Representative of the Secretary‑General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), issued a strong call for justice, protection, and dignity for the Yazidi people, more than a decade after the genocide in Sinjar. “We believe it is essential to end this injustice against the indigenous Iraqi Yazidi people and to ensure their return to their homes and areas with dignity and honor.” In a pointed appeal to the international community and regional stakeholders, Dr. Al Hassan stated: “I say it loudly that the Yazidis in Iraq have suffered immensely beyond description at the hands of ISIS, and we in the United Nations, through you and your support, call on those concerned in Iraq and the [neighboring countries] to take all necessary measures to protect this community and restore their dignity, respect, appreciation and rightful humanitarian standing.” He emphasized that any return process must go beyond relocation alone: “The return process cannot just be physical relocation. It needs to be a meaningful process that rebuilds lives, livelihoods, and hope for the future.” More than 100,000 Yazidis remain displaced across Iraq, many still living in camps or informal settlements. While recent developments, including the issuance of over 1,300 land ownership letters and nearly 100 title deeds, represent important progress, Dr. Al Hassan warned that: “Sustainable conditions for return require more coherent political, administrative and security measures… in addition to significant investment in job creation and local services.” His remarks follow a high-level meeting held on 29 May in Baghdad, where Yazda’s Executive Director, Natia Navrouzov, and members of the Yazda team met with Dr. Al Hassan to brief him on the continued displacement, insecurity, and urgent needs of the Yazidi community. The priorities raised during that meeting, including durable solutions for return, justice for survivors, and long-term international support, were clearly echoed in Dr. Al Hassan’s remarks. “To this day, a number of Yazidi men and women remain in a state of near‑forced captivity after Da’esh ravaged their lives, Iraq, and the region as a whole. The Yazidis in Iraq have suffered immensely beyond description at the hands of ISIS.” As UNAMI enters its final months, with operations scheduled to conclude by 31 December 2025 following Security Council resolution 2732, Dr. Al Hassan stressed the importance of sustaining the UN’s engagement on human rights and minority issues: “The United Nations is ready to continue supporting these and other human rights initiatives and engage with the Government of Iraq… in exploring options for continuing such support after UNAMI’s departure.” Yazda welcomes Dr. Al Hassan’s unequivocal recognition of the Yazidi community’s struggle and his call for lasting solutions grounded in dignity and justice. As Iraq transitions beyond the UNAMI mandate, Yazda emphasizes that support for Yazidis and other minority communities must remain a priority through transitional justice, inclusion, and coordinated national recovery. “Iraq is a nation of profound history, strength, potential, and pride. By working together, Iraqis can continue to make meaningful strides towards stability, prosperity, and human rights for all,” Dr. Al Hassan concluded. Yazda remains committed to working with the United Nations, the Government of Iraq, and international partners to ensure that Yazidi voices are heard, survivors are supported, and justice is not only promised but delivered. -END- Download this press release here . Read this Press Release in Arabic 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: 2 June 2025 Baghdad, Iraq – In a significant step toward truth, accountability, and healing, Yazda signed a Cooperation Agreement on 29 May 2025 with the Martyrs Foundation’s Department for the Protection of Mass Graves and Missing Persons, and the Medico-Legal Directorate (MLD) of Iraq’s Ministry of Health. Grounded in Article 14 of Iraq’s Mass Graves Protection Law (Law No. 5 of 2006, as amended by Law No. 13 of 2015), the agreement reflects a shared commitment to preserving the memory of Yazidi victims, supporting the rights of their families, and ensuring that the atrocities they endured are never forgotten and never allowed to happen again. The event brought together representatives from the three institutions for a roundtable discussion on the challenges, progress, and shared goals in advancing a survivor-centered and culturally sensitive approach to the exhumation of mass graves, identification of remains, and dignified burials in Iraq. The agreement formalizes this spirit of collaboration, setting out how the three entities will work in partnership to uphold the dignity of victims and ensure that families and survivors are never forgotten. As part of the agreement, the parties will jointly work to: Exhume, identify and return Yazidi victims’ remains in a dignified and trauma-informed manner. Organize blood sample collection campaigns from families of the missing, inside and outside Iraq. Develop and disseminate outreach materials to raise awareness of the exhumation and identification process. Support burials, provide psychological assistance, and build memorialization initiatives. Deliver joint trainings and documentation efforts to strengthen institutional capacity. Promote survivor engagement and support access to national reparations mechanisms. Natia Navrouzov, Yazda Executive Director commented: “The signing of this agreement marks a historic moment for Yazda and the Yazidi community. The work of the Mass Graves Directorate and the Medico-Legal Directorate has not only been central to exposing ISIL’s crimes and advancing justice, but it has also been the most visible and tangible sign to our community that justice is possible. Since March 2019, we have worked side by side, and this agreement formalizes the trust and mutual respect that have grown between us. To deliver justice to families of the missing, this work must be backed by political will, financial resources, and technical support. Over 2,600 Yazidis are still missing, and the search for truth must extend beyond Iraq’s borders, particularly to Syria and Turkey, where many were last seen. This work must be survivor-led, internationally supported, and rooted in dignity.” Mr. Diaa Karim , Director of the Mass Graves and Missing Persons Directorate commented: “The cooperation agreement signed with the Yazda international organization represents a significant step in strengthening collaboration between the Yazidi civil society organizations and the relevant sectoral entities involved in the issue of mass graves and missing persons. This agreement contributes effectively to coordinating efforts aimed at locating undiscovered mass graves and taking the necessary measures to preserve them. It also supports the families of the missing by facilitating communication with the specialized national teams and by considering the psychological needs of the victims’ families”. Furthermore, the agreement provides a legal framework that enables the provision of essential logistical support to the national teams working on this critical humanitarian issue. Dr. Zaid Ali Abass , Director of the Medico-Legal Department commented: “We are confident that this agreement with Yazda will have a positive impact on the families of the missing persons and will raise expectations for finding their loved ones both inside and outside Iraq. As a result, our aspirations have grown, and our communication with the families of victims and the missing persons has become more comprehensive and effective”. This collaboration represents a vital step in Iraq’s journey toward justice and memory and Yazda stands ready to continue supporting survivors and national institutions in this shared mission. -END- Download this press release here . Read this Press Release in Arabic 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: 29 May, 2025 Paris, May 2025 - In a landmark decision, France’s Cour de cassation has ruled on May 7, 2025, to reinstate the possibility of genocide charges against Sonia Mejri, a French national affiliated with ISIL, in relation to crimes committed against a Yazidi victim. The ruling overturns part of a January 22, 2025, decision by the Chambre de l’instruction which had previously annulled the genocide charge. The case will now be referred back to a newly constituted Chambre de l’instruction for re-examination of the accusation for genocide. Sonia Mejri is accused of committing crimes against a Yazidi adolescent girl who was held captive in Syria in the house of Sonia Mejri and her ISIL-affiliated husband in 2015 where she was enslaved and subjected to violence and abuse. The survivor was targeted for her Yazidi identity as part of the genocide committed by ISIL against this minority community and as part of the system of organized slave trade. In its ruling, the Cour de cassation held that an individual may be prosecuted for genocide even when the acts are committed against a single member of a group, provided the group was targeted as part of a coordinated plan aimed at its total or partial destruction. This position contrasts with the interpretation of the Paris Court of Appeal, which had argued that multiple victims were required for such a charge. This interpretation aligns with the jurisprudence of international courts and tribunals on the prosecution of genocide and is a great advancement against impunity in France, ensuring that perpetrators will be held accountable for the commission of international crimes. Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda commented: “This ruling is a historic moment for Yazidi survivors and a powerful affirmation that justice systems in Europe can and must rise to the challenge of prosecuting genocide. For years, Yazidi women and girls have bravely testified to the crimes they endured, and today, France’s highest court has confirmed that targeting even one victim with the intent to destroy an entire community can constitute genocide. We commend the Cour de cassation for aligning with international law and urge French authorities to move forward swiftly and decisively. Survivors deserve nothing less.” The new chambre will only now decide if, in addition to criminal association with terrorist intent (“association de malfaiteurs terroriste”) and complicity of crime against humanity, Sonia Mejri will also face trial for complicity of genocide. -END- Download this press release here . Read this Press Release in Arabic 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: 23 May 2025 Munich, Germany — May 23, 2025 — The Higher Regional Court of Munich has opened a trial against Asia R.A. and Twana S., a couple accused of being members of the so-called Islamic State (ISIL) and participating in the enslavement, torture, and sexual abuse of two Yazidi girls, aged five and twelve. The charges include crimes against humanity, war crimes, human trafficking, and genocide, based on acts committed between 2015 and 2017 in Mosul, Iraq, and Deir ez-Zor, Syria. The case is being prosecuted under Germany’s universal jurisdiction laws, which allow national courts to try international crimes committed abroad. It is the 10th trial in Germany addressing ISIL atrocities against Yazidis (previous cases were against Jennifer W. , Taha al-Jumailly , Leonora M. , Jalda A., Nadine K. , Sarah O ., Nurten J. , Omaima A. , Romiena S. ). According to the charges, Twana S., was born in 1981 and is from Kurdistan Region’s Halabja province. He arrived in Germany in the early 2000s, later became radicalized in a Salafist Mosque and joined ISIL. He met Asia R.A., a Kurd from Iraq’s Hawija town in Kirkuk province, in ISIL-controlled territory, where they married and had two children. The couple returned to Germany in 2018 and settled in Bavaria before separating. Twana S. was previously convicted in Germany for ISIL membership and receiving combat training. In April 2024, the couple was arrested in the cities of Rot and Regensburg after new allegations emerged relating to the enslavement and abuse of Yazidi children. The first survivor was five years old when she was purchased in 2015 from a slave market in Mosul. Prosecutors allege she was forced to work as a domestic servant, beaten, humiliated, denied freedom of movement, and scalded with boiling water. She was also exposed to religious teachings. Her location is currently unknown. The second survivor was twelve when she was purchased by the couple in 2017 from a military base in Deir ez-Zor. According to prosecutors, she was repeatedly raped and abused. In one incident detailed in the indictment, Asia R.A. instructed her to bathe, dress up, and wear makeup before sending her to Twana S., who tied her up and raped her. She was later freed in 2018 after her family paid a ransom of approximately $12,000 USD. She is expected to testify during the trial. The acts are alleged to have been committed with the intent to destroy the Yazidi community in whole or in part, grounds for the genocide charge under international criminal law. The opening of the Munich trial against two alleged ISIL members for crimes against Yazidi children comes at a critical moment. As Europe marks the EU Day Against Impunity on 23 May, this case stands as a powerful reminder of the continent's role in advancing justice beyond its borders. Germany’s use of universal jurisdiction to prosecute genocide and crimes against humanity reflects the EU’s core commitment to accountability. This trial also follows the conviction of Hasna A . in the Netherlands and of Lina I. in Sweden. Together, these cases signal a growing momentum across Europe to ensure that ISIL’s crimes do not go unpunished. Yet in the absence of a comprehensive international justice effort, and following the closure of UNITAD , the path to accountability remains fragmented. There is still no clear plan in Iraq to address core international crimes, and with a new regime in Syria, the future of transitional justice for ISIL crimes committed there remains uncertain. Justice today is not only about redressing past atrocities but essential to preventing future ones. -END- Download this press release here . Read this Press Release in Arabic 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: 17 May 2025 Baghdad, Iraq — May 17, 2025 – As Iraq hosts the 34th Arab League Summit, Yazda is calling on Arab leaders to place justice, accountability, and the protection of minority rights at the center of their regional agenda. The organization emphasizes that coordinated, cross-border action is essential to address the crimes committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and to support the recovery of survivors. For over a decade, Yazidis and other minority groups have endured grave atrocities at the hands of ISIL. Iraq has made important steps toward justice, including the passage of the Yazidi Survivors Law, the exhumation of mass graves, and the return of remains to the families of victims. Although these efforts are still ongoing and incomplete, they represent critical progress in transitional justice and offer valuable lessons for neighboring countries, especially Syria, as it emerges from conflict. However, significant gaps remain. Thousands of Yazidis are still missing—many of them women and children abducted by ISIL and trafficked across borders into Syria and Turkey. Because ISIL’s crimes transcended national borders, achieving justice requires regional coordination and collective action. Yazda urges the Arab League and its member states to take the following steps as part of a unified response to ISIL crimes: Establish a joint Iraqi Syrian mechanism , with Arab League and international support, to locate and rescue missing Yazidis and other victims, in coordination with the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). Ensure Yazidi representation in all transitional justice discussions related to Syria, facilitated through cross-border cooperation. Support coordinated prosecutions of ISIL members across the region, with harmonized legal frameworks and shared evidence for crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Adopt and implement minority rights protections across the Arab world to prevent future atrocities. Formally recognize the Yazidi genocide in Syria and commit to inclusive, survivor-centered recovery and reparations efforts. Justice must not stop at national borders. Regional coordination, survivor participation, and international solidarity are essential to uncover the truth and restore dignity to those who suffered ISIL’s brutal crimes. The Arab League has a responsibility to act. Justice, accountability, and non-repetition must become a shared regional mission rooted in cooperation, backed by law, and led by the voices of survivors. Yazda stands ready to work with regional and international partners to rescue those still missing, uphold survivors' rights, and build a future grounded in dignity, accountability, and peace. -END- Download this press release here . Read this Press Release in Arabic 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.