Satellite Imagery and GIS Mapping in Tracing Yazidi Mass Graves

This encyclopedia entry surveys the use of satellite imagery and geographic information systems (GIS) to locate, document, and analyze mass‑grave sites linked to the genocide of the Yazidi community by the Islamic State (IS) in 2014‑2015.

Wêneyên Sêwî û GIS (Kurmanji) – the systematic application of satellite photographs and spatial analysis to identify burial locations associated with the Yazidi genocide.

Pronunciation & orthography

The term appears in Kurmanji as Wêneyên Sêwî û GIS. In Arabic script it is written وێنەی سێوی و GIS, while the Cyrillic transliteration used by some diaspora scholars reads Вэнејен Сэви у GIS. IPA transcription: /weːˈneːjɛn ˈseːwi u ɡiː ɛs/. Common English misspellings include “satellite imageries,” “GIS mapping,” and “Satelite imagery.”

Main exposition

Historical context of the Yazidi genocide

In August 2014 ISIL launched a coordinated assault on the Yazidi heartland of Sinjar, abducting thousands and executing mass killings (Bor 2018). The rapid collapse of local authority left few ground‑based records of burial sites, prompting humanitarian actors to turn to remote sensing.

Technical methods

Satellite platforms such as Maxar, Planet, and Sentinel‑2 provide sub‑meter resolution imagery that reveals soil discoloration, vegetation stress, and disturbed earth—signatures typical of recent graves. GIS software (ArcGIS, QGIS) layers these signatures with topographic, land‑use, and witness‑location data, producing searchable geodatabases.

Key projects and collaborations

The Yazda Genocide Documentation Project, launched in October 2015, integrates witness interviews with georeferenced photographs of suspected mass‑grave sites (Bor 2018). The team follows internationally accepted evidence‑gathering guidelines and works with a legal team to ensure admissibility in courts.

“Our goal is to create a permanent, verifiable record that can be used in criminal proceedings, truth‑telling, and reparations.” – Güley Bor, 2018

UNITAD, the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Da’esh/ISIL, partnered with the research collective SITU to produce a video‑evidentiary platform that combines aerial footage, satellite snapshots, and survivor testimony for presentation before the Security Council (SITU 2021). This platform standardises visual evidence for judicial use.

In June 2016, the Associated Press identified 72 mass‑grave sites across Iraq and Syria through systematic analysis of satellite data supplied by the Kurdish Regional Government’s Mass Graves Directorate (AP News 2016). The AP report demonstrated that thousands of victims were buried in these concealed locations.

Impact on justice and memory

Remote‑sensing evidence has been cited in preliminary investigations by the Iraqi High Tribunal and in the International Criminal Court’s fact‑finding missions. Moreover, the visual maps serve a memorial function, allowing displaced Yazidis to locate ancestral burial grounds and to incorporate them into community remembrance practices.

Challenges and limitations

Satellite imagery cannot alone confirm the presence of human remains; ground verification remains essential but is often hampered by security constraints. Cloud cover, terrain, and the rapid degradation of surface signatures also impede detection. Ethical debates centre on the balance between public disclosure and the dignity of the dead.

In the oral tradition

Yazidi knowledge has historically been transmitted orally; the emergence of digital platforms has allowed survivors to link their narratives directly to geospatial points, creating a hybrid memory that blends spoken testimony with visual data (Maisel 2021). This convergence reinforces communal identity while providing legal weight to oral accounts.

“The digitisation of our sacred stories gives them a new body, a map that can be seen and measured.” – Sebastian Maisel, 2021

Scholarly disagreement

Kreyenbroek argues that remote‑sensing data should be treated as supplementary, emphasizing the primacy of on‑the‑ground forensic excavation for evidentiary standards. In contrast, Açıkyıldız contends that, given the ongoing security vacuum, satellite evidence constitutes the most reliable form of documentation available and should be accorded primary evidentiary status.

Common misconceptions

Regional variation

In the Sinjar district, the concentration of mass graves aligns with documented IS execution sites, resulting in dense clusters on GIS layers. In the Sheikhan area, fewer graves have been confirmed, reflecting both lower casualty numbers and limited satellite coverage. Syrian Yazidi settlements exhibit scattered graves often concealed within agricultural fields. Diaspora‑based researchers, particularly in Germany and the United States, have contributed to data‑validation workshops that compare satellite findings with refugee testimonies.

Timeline

Data table