Press Release

Strengthening Survivor-Led Advocacy: Yazda Announces the Establishment of the Survivors Rise Network Date: 10 September 2026 Iraq: Yazda announces today the establishment of the Survivors Rise Network (SRN), an advocacy platform bringing together survivors from diverse communities. The SRN aims to strengthen collective action, foster mutual support, and promote the meaningful participation of survivors of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in decision-making processes. Guided by the Network’s vision, values, and priorities, members will lead joint advocacy efforts and engage with government institutions, civil society organizations, diplomatic missions, and international partners to build collaboration and advance long-term change. Since 2014, Yazda has worked alongside survivors of ISIL atrocities to advance justice, foster accountability, and promote survivors’ rights in Iraq. This work has included support for individual advocates, the establishment of the Yazidi Survivors Network (YSN) in 2019, and the launch of the Know Your Rights (KYR) Programme in 2024, equipping survivors with the knowledge, skills, and platforms to influence policy and champion their rights. Building on this foundation, the SRN was shaped through consultation and co-creation with KYR graduates and survivor advocates. By placing lived experience at its core, the Network seeks to translate survivors’ perspectives into coordinated action and leadership while remaining responsive to their evolving needs and constraints. Members of the Survivors Rise Network commented: "We are not merely survivors of the past—we are leaders shaping the future. Through the Survivors Rise Network, we come together from different communities, united by a shared commitment to justice, dignity, and the restoration of our rights. By standing together and leading our own advocacy, we transform our lived experiences into collective strength, ensuring that survivors are not only heard but are at the center of the decisions that shape our future." Yazda will support the SRN in its activities, championing this model and helping ensure that members are meaningfully positioned at the center of leadership, decision-making, and advocacy. Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda, commented: "Working with and for survivors has been at the heart of Yazda's mission since our founding. Over the past twelve years, we have supported individual survivor advocates and helped create spaces where survivors can organize, lead, and shape the policies that affect their lives. The Survivors Rise Network represents the culmination of that journey and of a year of consultations with survivors themselves. It transforms the lessons we have learned into a sustainable, survivor-led platform for collective advocacy. We call on governments, donors, civil society, and international partners to engage with the Network, amplify survivors' voices, and invest in their long-term leadership and advocacy." The SRN was established with the support of the SPACE Programme, funded by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and implemented by GIZ. Yazda and SRN members extend their sincere gratitude for this valuable partnership and continued commitment to advancing survivor-led initiatives in Iraq. ### 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. 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. About the Survivors Rise Network: The Survivors Rise Network (SRN) is an inclusive, survivor-led platform that brings together trained survivor advocates from different communities to strengthen collective advocacy, promote collaboration and meaningful survivor participation, and engage with institutions and partners to advance the rights of survivors of ISIL atrocities. By working collectively, the Network seeks to strengthen survivor leadership and contribute to more inclusive and survivor-centred policies and decision-making processes. Guided by the principles of survivor leadership, inclusion, dignity, respect, a survivor-centred approach, and Do No Harm, the Network advocates for truth, justice, reparations, accountability, and guarantees of non-repetition. This project was implemented as part of SPACE. SPACE is funded by Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

Yazda Supports Opening of Sharaf al-Din Shrine Mass Grave and Calls for Timely Identification of Victims Iraq: On 20 August 2026, Yazda joined Yazidi organizations in a key meeting organized by the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) in Duhok, focused on establishing a joint mechanism to open and exhume the mass grave at the Sharaf al-Din Shrine in the Al-Shimal subdistrict (Sinuni), northern Sinjar. The site holds the remains of victims from the Khanasor and Bardiya mass graves. The meeting was attended by families of the victims as well as the Iraqi government, including the Mass Graves and Missing Persons Protection Directorate at the Martyrs Foundation and the Directorate of Forensic Medicine at the Ministry of Health. Representatives from the Kurdistan Regional Government's Directorate of Forensic Medicine, the Criminal Evidence Department at the Ministry of Interior, and the Commission of Investigation and Evidence Gathering also attended. The Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government will continue to coordinate closely on this process, including by cross-referencing available information and consolidating data on the two mass graves in a dedicated database at the Directorate of Forensic Medicine in Baghdad. These efforts are intended to facilitate the DNA matching process and support the identification of the victims. On 21 August 2026, national technical teams from the Mass Graves and Missing Persons Protection Directorate and the Directorate of Forensic Medicine, in partnership with ICMP, began a field mission at the site to conduct an initial technical assessment and prepare for the next stages of the survey. This work is being carried out in preparation for the official opening of the mass grave on 19 September 2026. Following the exhumation, the remains will be transferred, in accordance with official procedures, to forensic medicine laboratories in Baghdad for DNA analysis and matching. Yazda will continue to support the families and national technical teams throughout this humanitarian mission and will closely follow the identification and DNA matching process in the stages ahead. Yazda also calls on all relevant authorities to prioritize this process and ensure that the necessary resources, coordination, and technical support are in place to bring it to a timely conclusion. More than 12 years after the genocide, families have waited far too long for answers about the fate of their loved ones and for the opportunity to lay them to rest with dignity. Completing the exhumation, identification, and return of the remains should therefore be treated as a matter of urgency and as an essential step toward providing families with truth, dignity, and closure. ### 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.

Yazda Welcomes Iraqi Council of Ministers’ Approval of Draft International Crimes Law 26 August 2026 Iraq - Yazda welcomes the Iraqi Council of Ministers’ approval, on 24 August 2026, of the draft International Crimes Law and its referral to the Iraqi Council of Representatives following review by the State Council. The draft law represents an important step toward establishing a domestic legal framework for the prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Iraq. If adopted by the Council of Representatives and brought into force, it could provide a long-awaited legal basis for prosecuting perpetrators for core international crimes committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). For years, Yazda, survivors, victims’ families and civil society organizations have advocated for an Iraqi legal framework capable of reflecting the nature, gravity and scale of the crimes committed by ISIL against the Yazidi community and other affected communities. To date, ISIL members in Iraq have largely been prosecuted under counter-terrorism legislation, as Iraqi criminal law does not codify genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes as distinct offences. These proceedings have therefore generally focused on terrorism-related offences rather than establishing individual criminal responsibility for the specific international crimes committed against Yazidis and other affected communities. The recent transfers of ISIL detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq have created a renewed opportunity to address this accountability gap and ensure that those suspected of core international crimes can be prosecuted for the full scope of their conduct. This makes the establishment of an appropriate domestic legal framework all the more urgent. In the absence of such a domestic framework, proceedings in third countries have played a critical role in advancing accountability. Cases before European courts have resulted in prosecutions and convictions for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and, importantly, have provided some survivors with opportunities to participate meaningfully in proceedings concerning the crimes committed against them. These cases have demonstrated that ISIL atrocities can be successfully prosecuted as core international crimes and have contributed to establishing a judicial record of the Yazidi genocide. However, third-country prosecutions can reach only a limited number of perpetrators and depend on factors such as jurisdiction, the location of suspects and the availability of evidence. Establishing an effective framework in Iraq is therefore essential to creating a more comprehensive and sustainable pathway to justice. In 2022, Yazda and the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR) published the Position Paper on an ISIL Accountability Mechanism in Iraq. Developed through extensive discussions among C4JR members and informed by survivors’ views, Iraqi and international law, and lessons from previous accountability processes, the paper set out recommendations for a survivor-centered mechanism capable of addressing genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by ISIL. It emphasized that survivors should be meaningfully involved and that their rights and needs should be respected throughout criminal proceedings. The Council of Ministers’ approval of the draft International Crimes Law is an important step toward addressing this longstanding accountability gap. The draft has now been referred to the Iraqi Council of Representatives, where it will enter the parliamentary legislative process. Parliamentary consideration and the required readings will follow in accordance with applicable procedures. At the time of publication, a date for the first reading has not been officially announced. As Parliament considers the draft, Yazda calls on lawmakers to ensure that the final legislation meets the needs of survivors and victims and provides an effective basis for accountability. In particular, Yazda calls on the Council of Representatives and relevant Iraqi authorities to: 1. Ensure meaningful survivor and civil society participation. Survivors, victims’ families, civil society organizations, and Iraqi and international experts should have genuine opportunities to contribute their expertise and recommendations during the parliamentary process. 2. Embed survivor-centered safeguards in the legal framework. The law and its implementation should protect the safety, dignity, privacy, and physical and psychological well-being of survivors and victims, including survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and children affected by ISIL crimes. 3. Guarantee meaningful participation in criminal proceedings. Survivors and victims should have appropriate opportunities to participate in proceedings concerning crimes committed against them, be heard, receive information about proceedings, and exercise their rights in accordance with international standards. 4. Ensure access to reparations. The legal framework should provide effective avenues for victims and survivors to seek appropriate forms of reparation and complement existing Iraqi mechanisms for reparations and survivor support. Natia Navrouzov, Yazda’s Executive Director, said: “This is a significant moment for survivors who have waited more than a decade to see the crimes committed against them addressed for what they are. For years, survivors have travelled abroad, testified before foreign courts and contributed to cases far from their homes in order to pursue justice for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Iraq now has an important opportunity to build on those efforts and create a pathway to justice closer to the communities most affected. The measure of this law will not simply be the crimes it recognizes on paper, but whether survivors can access justice through it in practice. Survivors, victims’ families and civil society have brought the accountability process this far. Their experience should now help shape a law that can deliver meaningful justice in Iraq.” Yazda calls on the Council of Representatives to prioritize consideration of the draft International Crimes Law and stands ready to engage with Parliament, relevant Iraqi authorities, survivors, C4JR members, civil society organizations and other stakeholders throughout the legislative process. ### 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 selfdeclared 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.

Yazda formalizes partnership with the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP) Geneva/Sinjar, 18 August 2026 – Yazda and the Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalizing their cooperation to strengthen the sharing of information and documentation to clarify the fate of all missing persons and support their families. Established by the United Nations General Assembly through resolution 77/301 in June 2023, following sustained advocacy by Syrian families of the missing and civil society, the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP) is mandated to clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria and to provide adequate support to victims, survivors and the families of those who are missing. The Institution works in close cooperation and complementarity with relevant actors, placing families at the centre of its efforts and supporting a coordinated, inclusive and humanitarian approach to addressing the issue of missing persons. 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, 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. Yazda also supports the families of missing Yazidis by advancing efforts to determine the fate of those who remain unaccounted for following the genocide. Through the identification of victims from mass graves, the collection of DNA reference samples, and advocacy for families' right to know what happened to their loved ones, Yazda helps provide long-awaited answers to families while supporting justice and preserving the historical record. As many Yazidis remain missing, Yazda's long-standing experience documenting cases of missing persons, combined with IIMP's mandate and expertise in data management will support families' right to know the truth about their loved ones' fate through a victim and survivor centred approach. This partnership aims to ensure that information and documentation on missing persons are responsibly preserved, protected, and can support future justice processes while safeguarding the rights and well-being of survivors and their families. Natia Navrouzov, Yazda Executive Director, stated : "Since 2014, Yazda has supported efforts to identify, protect, and document mass grave sites, facilitating cooperation among national authorities, forensic experts, and international mechanisms on exhumations and investigations in line with international standards. By partnering with the IIMP, we will amplify truth-seeking efforts and work jointly to promote the rights and dignity of victims, survivors, and their families." Karla Quintana, the Head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP) , stated: "Families have spent years searching for answers about the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones. Partnerships such as this one are essential because they help ensure that valuable information is preserved, handled responsibly and can contribute to a coordinated search effort. We welcome Yazda's commitment and look forward to working together in support of victims, survivors and families." ### 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. About IIMP: The Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP) is a humanitarian and independent UN entity, established by the UN General Assembly on 29 June 2023 in response to urgent calls for action from family members of Syria's thousands of missing persons to determine their fate and whereabouts. It has a unique and unprecedented mandate, as it is the first UN body focused on missing persons in a specific context. Its mission is to clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria, and to provide adequate support to the families of those missing. The Institution's work is built on a victim-centred approach, the full and meaningful participation of families and survivors, non-duplication and cooperation with existing actors, and gender sensitivity and inclusivity across all areas of its work.

Yazda Statement for the 12th Commemoration of the Kocho Village massacre in Sinjar 15 August 2026 Today marks the 12th commemoration of the attacks on Kocho village in Sinjar. Kocho was once a vibrant community. It became a symbol of unimaginable suffering following the atrocities committed by ISIL from August 2014. Following ISIL's attack on Sinjar, the group surrounded Kocho for twelve days, holding more than 1,700 people in the village between 3 and 15 August 2014. On 15 August, ISIL gathered the inhabitants in the village school and separated the men and older boys from the women and children. The men and boys were executed and buried in 17 mass graves across the village. Eighty-six women were separated out and massacred near Solagh. The remaining women and children were taken captive and subjected to torture, forced conversion, sexual violence, and enslavement. The survivors of Kocho, both women and men, have shown remarkable courage in preserving the memory of their community and speaking publicly about the atrocities they endured. Through their testimonies and continued efforts to seek justice and accountability, they have helped bring the experiences of Kocho and the broader Yazidi genocide to national and international attention. Their voices have played an important role in ensuring that these crimes are documented, remembered, and recognized, and that the rights of victims and survivors, as well as the pursuit of justice, remain central to efforts to address the Yazidi genocide. Kocho survivors and members of Survivors Rise Network shared what this day means to them. Azhar Suhail, Kocho survivor , said: "On August 15, 2014, it was not only lives that were taken in Kocho, an entire childhood was stolen from its children, and I was one of the children. They took us captive, they took our women, and they left behind a bleeding village and a memory that refuses to die. Twelve years later, I am still here… to say: Kocho has not died, as long as there are survivors who remember and bear witness." Thikran Mato, Kocho survivor and Yazda consultant , said: "Twelve years after the Kocho genocide, memory is no longer simply a way of recalling a painful past for me, it has become an act of bearing witness and an act of resistance. As a survivor of Kocho, I carry the responsibility of documenting what happened and preserving the voices of the victims. Memory does not simply preserve the past; it is the foundation for justice and for preventing genocide from happening again." Widad Dawod, Kocho survivor , said: "We have been worn down by years of waiting for our kidnapped loved ones to return, or to recover their remains. How much longer? Is 12 years not enough? My question to every official is: When will I be able to bury my son's remains? I used to believe that with each passing year, the pain of separation and suffering would become easier to bear. But every year, the pain only grows. I no longer know what peace feels like. We will not forget." Yazda's commitment goes beyond remembrance. We remain steadfast in our resolve to support the Yazidi community's ongoing efforts for justice, recovery, and rebuilding. We acknowledge the deep scars left by these atrocities and pledge to advocate tirelessly for the protection of human rights and to work toward preventing future genocides. In honoring Kocho, we also recognize the urgent need for continued solidarity and action to uncover the fate of missing persons, support their families, and bring justice to the victims and survivors of these atrocities. ### 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.

Yazda Commemorates the Victims of the 2007 Tel Azer and Siba Sheikh-Khedir Attacks in Sinjar 14 August 2026 Sinjar, Iraq: Today marks nineteen years since the coordinated terrorist attacks that struck the Yazidi communities of Tel Azer and Siba Sheikh-Khedir in Sinjar, Iraq, on 14 August 2007. The attacks remain among the deadliest acts of terrorism ever carried out against the Yazidi people. Tel Azer, Seba Sheikh Khidr, and Old Azer Village sit in Sinjar, west of Mosul and south of Mount Sinjar, near the Syrian border, a predominantly Yazidi area administratively part of Al-Ba'aj District in Nineveh Governorate. On that day, coordinated explosions tore through the three villages, reducing homes to rubble and causing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The attacks left an estimated 1,800 people killed and injured across the three villages. In the aftermath, search efforts recovered 41 human remains, many of them unidentifiable, which were buried collectively in a mass grave at the Sheikh Mand Shrine in Wadi Jadal Village. To this day, a significant number of survivors continue to live with permanent disabilities, paralysis, and severe head injuries because of the attacks. The destruction extended to housing and livelihoods across the area: 453 houses were destroyed, with only limited traces remaining of some, and a further 1,772 houses were partially destroyed. Every house in Tel Azer and its surrounding villages sustained some degree of damage, from cracks to partial structural collapse. Seventy commercial shops were destroyed or damaged. Among the attacks' lasting consequences, 646 children were left orphaned, without adequate care or psychological and emotional support. Nineteen years on, the wounds of that day have not healed. Many survivors continue to live with the physical and psychological scars of the attacks. The communities of Tel Azer and Siba Sheikh-Khedir would go on, just seven years later, to be among the first Yazidi villages targeted by ISIL in the genocide of August 2014, a painful reminder that the Yazidi community has faced repeated waves of violence, and that lasting protection and justice have yet to be achieved. Today, Yazda stands with the families and survivors of Tel Azer and Siba Sheikh-Khedir, and with the Yazidi community. We honor the memory of those who lost their lives in this attack, and we remain committed to documenting these crimes, supporting survivors, and pursuing justice and accountability for all atrocities committed against the community. ### 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.

Yazda strongly condemns hate speech targeting Yazidis Date: 11 August 2026 Iraq: Yazda is gravely concerned by the recent online violence targeting the Yazidi community, particularly as it comes right after the 12-year mark since the Yazidi genocide. On 9 August 2026, Kurdish Religious man, Ramin Salih Zada called for genocide against the Yazidi community, stating: “Yazidis, we consider you infidels, filthy, and scoundrels. By God, if we have even the slightest opportunity, we will not allow you to live on the earth for a single second. This is our religion. We hide this from no one, and we fear no one.” As it emerges from this statement, the resurgence of stigmatizing, dehumanizing, and violence-inciting language, including the glorification of genocide, is deeply distressing for Yazidis and reawakens memories of the atrocities endured by the Yazidi community. Yazda previously published a report in 2024 entitled ‘Under Constant Threat: Hate Speech Against the Yazidi Community in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq ’ documenting the wave of hate speech targeting the Yazidi community in August 2024, just days after marking 10 years since the genocide. Yazda strongly condemns hate speech against all ethnic and religious groups and communities in Iraq and the KRI, including Muslims, Christians, Yazidis, Turkmen, and Shabak, as well as discourses against tolerance and coexistence between communities. We are deeply concerned that the situation could escalate, further increasing fear and insecurity within the Yazidi community. Hate speech is not only prohibited in international human rights treaties to which Iraq is a party but has been a particular focus of attention in the international community for decades. Yazda continues to closely monitor the situation and urge national and international actors to prioritize the safety and protection of all communities across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. We also call on the Iraqi Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure that this matter is thoroughly and impartially investigated by the relevant Iraqi and KRI authorities, while addressing the root causes of the Yazidi genocide and providing a clear and meaningful guarantees of non-repetition for the crimes committed against Yazidis and other affected communities. -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. 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.

Twelve Years On: Honoring Yazidi Victims and Calling for Justice Date: 3 August 2026 Sinjar, Iraq: Today marks the twelfth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide perpetrated by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). On 3 August 2014, ISIL launched a coordinated attack against the Yazidi people in Sinjar, Iraq. The Yazidi community was specifically targeted through mass killings, sexual violence, enslavement, forced displacement, and destruction of cultural and religious heritage. Thousands of Yazidis were abducted by ISIL and transferred to Syria and various locations of Iraq. These acts meet the legal thresholds of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes under international criminal law. On this solemn day of remembrance, Yazda stands in solidarity with the Yazidi people to honor the victims and survivors of the genocide. We remember those who were killed, those who remain missing, and the countless lives forever changed by these atrocities. Families were torn apart, entire communities were displaced, and the consequences continue to be felt across generations. Twelve years later, hundreds of mass graves continue to be discovered, and around 2,500 Yazidis, predominantly women and children, remain missing to this day. Approximately 200,000 Yazidis have returned to Sinjar, while more than 200,000 remain displaced elsewhere in Iraq. Of those still displaced, around 180,000 Yazidis are living outside internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, and nearly 90,000 are residing in thirteen IDP camps. Decades of government neglect have compounded the challenges faced by the Yazidi community, contributing to the marginalization of this humanitarian crisis and leaving the fate of many survivors and displaced families without the support, security, and certainty needed to rebuild their lives. Today, a public tribute is being held at the memorial site of the Yazidi genocide in Solagh, Sinjar. Yazda joined survivors, families, supporters, and partners to commemorate the victims, honor the resilience of the Yazidi community, and renew the collective call for justice. This commemoration is more than a reflection on the past. It is a call to reaffirm Yazidi’s commitment to justice, accountability, and the protection of communities at risk. This commitment to justice must also be reflected in concrete measures to support survivors and address the lasting impacts of the genocide. Although the adoption of the Yazidi Survivors Law (YSL) in 2021 marked a historic step by establishing Iraq's first comprehensive administrative reparations program for survivors of ISIL atrocities, implementation remains incomplete. Since applications opened in September 2022, 2,587 applications have been approved, and with more than 2,216 survivors receiving monthly reparations. In addition, 262 land plots have been distributed, and 87 survivors have received educational support. However, many survivors whose applications were approved in 2025 have yet to receive financial benefits due to budget constraints, delaying access to essential reparations and undermining the timely delivery of justice. Progress toward accountability has also been uneven. In Europe, a limited number of cases have been pursued under the principles of universal and active personal jurisdiction, demonstrating both the feasibility of prosecuting ISIL crimes under international law and the importance of political will. However, these efforts remain fragmented and dependent on factors such as the presence of suspects, access to evidence, and national legal frameworks. To date, fifteen cases have been pursued for genocide, crimes against humanity, or related offences, primarily in Germany, with additional proceedings in the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Kosovo, and France. These cases demonstrate the critical role of national courts and survivor testimony in advancing accountability and preserving the historical record, while also highlighting the need for a more consistent and comprehensive approach to justice. In Iraq, prosecutions have continued primarily under counter-terrorism legislation, while no coordinated international mechanism has been established to core international crimes committed against the Yazidi community. In light of the above, Yazda respectfully call for the following actions: Ensure the full and timely implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Law (YSL) by removing administrative and financial barriers, ensuring that all approved survivors receive their reparations without further delay. Adopt comprehensive legislation incorporating genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes into national law, ensuring that ISIL crimes are prosecuted in their full scope and that judicial proceedings contribute to truth-telling, reconciliation, and social cohesion. In parallel with domestic efforts, explore complementary international accountability pathways, including cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC). Strengthen efforts to locate, identify, and return missing Yazidis by increasing resources for the investigation and excavation of mass graves, supporting DNA identification processes, and providing families with truth and information about their missing relatives. Guarantee safe, voluntary, and dignified return for displaced Yazidis by improving security conditions in Sinjar, rebuilding destroyed infrastructure, restoring essential services, and ensuring meaningful participation of Yazidis in decisions affecting their future. Ensure continued international engagement and monitoring by governments, international organizations, and humanitarian actors to maintain attention on the Yazidi genocide and prevent future atrocities against vulnerable communities. Twelve years after the genocide, justice for the Yazidi people remains an urgent responsibility. The Yazidi community must never endure such atrocities again. ### 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. 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: Munich Court delivers Verdict against Asia R.A. and Twana H.S. for Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, and War Crimes Against Two Yazidi Girls Date: Monday, 13 July 2026 Munich, Germany: Today, The Higher Regional Court of Munich has delivered its verdict in the trial against Asia R.A. and Twana H.S., an Iraqi-Kurdish couple accused of being members of the so-called Islamic State (ISIL) and participating in the enslavement, torture, sexual abuse, and rape of two Yazidi girls. The Court found the defendants guilty of committing, between 2015 and 2017 In Mosul, Iraq, and Deir ez-Zor, Syria, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against two Yazidi children. Twana H.S. was convicted of sexually abusing the children, while Asia R.A. was found guilty of aiding and abetting in the abuse. Furthermore, Asia R.A. and Twana H.S. were convicted of the underlying act of forcibly transferring children, marking the first successful prosecution and conviction for this offense in Germany. The case also resulted in Germany's first conviction for the crime of forced religious conversion. Because Asia R.A. was a minor when the crimes were committed, she received a juvenile sentence of nine and a half years in prison. Twana H.S. was sentenced to life imprisonment. The couple was arrested in Germany in April 2024 following allegations relating to international crimes committed against two Yazidi girls. According to the indictment, the survivors were five and twelve years old when they were purchased in 2015 from a slave market in Mosul and in 2017 from a military base in Syria, respectively. The oldest survivor was freed in 2018 and testified during the trial, which began in May 2025, while the younger child remains missing and is believed to still be in captivity in Syria. This historic first-instance verdict marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice and accountability in Germany's tenth trial concerning crimes committed by ISIL, contributing to a growing body of case law addressing atrocities committed by ISIL against Yazidis. Asia R.A. and Twana H.S. were prosecuted under the universal jurisdiction principle which allows national courts to try international crimes committed abroad. During the verdict reading, Presiding Judge Philipp Stoll quoted from the Yazidi witness’ testimony the Yazidi : "We Yazidi women were the slaves – even dogs were valued more highly than us.” After the proceedings, the lawyer of one of the survivors, Natalie von Wistinghausen stated : “Our client is relieved that the trial is over and that the accused have been convicted to long prison sentences, even though no punishment can heal the deep wounds that she will carry all her life. She hopes that other girls who have endured similar atrocities will one day see accountability for the crimes committed against them. She also welcomed the Presiding Judge’s recognition of the courage of the Yazidi survivors and his hope that their testimony will contribute to restoring the Yazidi people’s confidence and hope.” Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda, commented: “This landmark verdict in Germany's tenth trial concerning ISIL crimes marks another significant step toward justice for the Yazidi community. It reflects Germany's continued leadership in using universal jurisdiction to hold perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes accountable. While no verdict can erase the suffering of survivors, today's judgment reinforces that these crimes will not go unpunished and that the pursuit of justice must continue.” A representative of Yazda, Riyadh Adi, Yazda Consultant Investigations and Case-Building, attended the hearing to keep the Yazidi community informed of the proceedings. Having supported this case for a long time, today he reaffirmed Yazda's commitment to pursuing accountability and justice for the Yazidi community and all victims of ISIL. -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. 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.