Yazidis demand justice and punishment for ISIS militants in Iraq

2022/08/35454-1660862111.jpg
Read: 1767     15:30     19 Август 2022    

A position paper on a survivor-focused mechanism to bring ISIS to justice in Iraq.

Eight years ago, in August 2014, militants of the so-called "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) killed and enslaved more than 1,250 Yazidis, residents of only one of the Yazidi villages of Kocho. In one day, 400 men were killed and most of the 800 women and children are still being held captive (enslaved) by ISIS families. The Kocho massacre is only a small part of the atrocities committed by ISIS in Iraq.

Although the United Nations International Investigative Team (UNITAD) has made progress in bringing to justice for crimes committed by ISIS, it has collected evidence of ISIS crimes against Yazidis, Shiites, Sunnis, Christians, Kakais, Shabaks and Shiite Turkmens. Rather, they found clear and convincing evidence of ISIS committing a crime of genocide against the Yazidis as a national and religious group. Over the past eight years, no tangible progress has been made in Iraq in prosecuting those responsible for the terrible crimes that really are: genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

According to the surviving Yazidi emigrants:

"Iraq is the place where the terror against us Yazidis began, where most of the leaders of ISIS are located, where we are being killed and abducted to this day. It is important that justice prevail in Iraq, only then can we return to our country again with confidence. We have been waiting for this for eight years, how much longer will it take to wait?".

The Iraqi Parliament has recognized the need to bring to justice for these atrocities: the Yazidi Survivors Law of March 2021 states in Article 7 that "crimes committed by ISIS against Yazidis, Turkmen, Christians, Shabaks and all minorities are crimes against humanity and qualify as genocide and that the Foreign Ministry will work to expose these crimes in international forums and bring to justice those responsible

Iraqi NGOs affiliated with the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR) have published a position paper outlining the basic legal, political and operational features of the mechanism for bringing to justice ISIS members responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The purpose of this position paper consists of two parts:

• Giving new impetus to Iraq's commitment to criminalize international crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq by identifying international best practices related to the involvement of survivors and respect for their rights and needs during criminal proceedings.

• Provide a platform for Iraqi and international NGOs and activists through which they can conduct objective and advocacy activities with Iraqi and international partners to propose specific solutions, rather than general requirements, on how to respect and recognize survivors as individuals, their families, and their communities in future criminal proceedings.

"To this end, we, non-governmental and Yazidi human rights organizations, call on the Iraqi authorities to seriously consider the proposals contained in the position paper and find a way to end impunity for human rights violations committed by ISIS terrorists and their accomplices in Iraq and to take decisions on them in consultation with the victims and civil society and in accordance with national and international legislation".

ezid24





Tags: #yazidisinfo   #newsyazidis   #aboutyazidis   #ngoyazidis  



Yazidis demand justice and punishment for ISIS militants in Iraq

2022/08/35454-1660862111.jpg
Read: 1768     15:30     19 Август 2022    

A position paper on a survivor-focused mechanism to bring ISIS to justice in Iraq.

Eight years ago, in August 2014, militants of the so-called "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) killed and enslaved more than 1,250 Yazidis, residents of only one of the Yazidi villages of Kocho. In one day, 400 men were killed and most of the 800 women and children are still being held captive (enslaved) by ISIS families. The Kocho massacre is only a small part of the atrocities committed by ISIS in Iraq.

Although the United Nations International Investigative Team (UNITAD) has made progress in bringing to justice for crimes committed by ISIS, it has collected evidence of ISIS crimes against Yazidis, Shiites, Sunnis, Christians, Kakais, Shabaks and Shiite Turkmens. Rather, they found clear and convincing evidence of ISIS committing a crime of genocide against the Yazidis as a national and religious group. Over the past eight years, no tangible progress has been made in Iraq in prosecuting those responsible for the terrible crimes that really are: genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

According to the surviving Yazidi emigrants:

"Iraq is the place where the terror against us Yazidis began, where most of the leaders of ISIS are located, where we are being killed and abducted to this day. It is important that justice prevail in Iraq, only then can we return to our country again with confidence. We have been waiting for this for eight years, how much longer will it take to wait?".

The Iraqi Parliament has recognized the need to bring to justice for these atrocities: the Yazidi Survivors Law of March 2021 states in Article 7 that "crimes committed by ISIS against Yazidis, Turkmen, Christians, Shabaks and all minorities are crimes against humanity and qualify as genocide and that the Foreign Ministry will work to expose these crimes in international forums and bring to justice those responsible

Iraqi NGOs affiliated with the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR) have published a position paper outlining the basic legal, political and operational features of the mechanism for bringing to justice ISIS members responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The purpose of this position paper consists of two parts:

• Giving new impetus to Iraq's commitment to criminalize international crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq by identifying international best practices related to the involvement of survivors and respect for their rights and needs during criminal proceedings.

• Provide a platform for Iraqi and international NGOs and activists through which they can conduct objective and advocacy activities with Iraqi and international partners to propose specific solutions, rather than general requirements, on how to respect and recognize survivors as individuals, their families, and their communities in future criminal proceedings.

"To this end, we, non-governmental and Yazidi human rights organizations, call on the Iraqi authorities to seriously consider the proposals contained in the position paper and find a way to end impunity for human rights violations committed by ISIS terrorists and their accomplices in Iraq and to take decisions on them in consultation with the victims and civil society and in accordance with national and international legislation".

ezid24





Tags: #yazidisinfo   #newsyazidis   #aboutyazidis   #ngoyazidis