Forensic Excavations of Yazidi Mass Graves by the 2026 Truth Commission

This encyclopedia entry explains the methods, institutional framework, and significance of the forensic excavations carried out by Iraq’s 2026 Truth Commission on Yazidi mass graves.

Forensic excavation of Yazidi mass graves (Kurmanji: kêşeya forensîk a qebrên Yezîdî) is the systematic, scientific process by which the Truth Commission uncovers, documents, and analyses burial sites created during the ISIL genocide against the Yazidi community.

Pronunciation & orthography

The term is spelled kêşeya forensîk a qebrên Yezîdî in Latin‑script Kurmanji. In Arabic script it appears as كەشەيا فورەنسیک ئه قبڕێن یەزیدی, and in Cyrillic (used by some diaspora scholars) as кешея форенcик а кебрен Йезиди. The IPA transcription is /keˈʃeja foɾɛnˈsiːk a ˈqebɾen jeˈzidi/. Common English misspellings include “Yazidi” (instead of “Yezidi”) and “forensic” written without the diacritic “î”.

Main exposition

Institutional framework

The 2026 Truth Commission was established by Iraqi law to investigate crimes committed by Da’esh/ISIL, with a specific mandate to locate, excavate, and document Yazidi mass graves. It operates in close partnership with the Mass Graves and Missing Directorate (MGMD), the Medico‑Legal Directorate (MLD), and the Commission for Investigation and Gathering Evidence (CIGE) – the same bodies that carried out the February 2025 exhumations of 13 sites (Yazda 2025)¹. International partners such as the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) and the United Nations Investigative Team (UNITAD) provide technical assistance, training, and funding (UNITAD 2024)⁴.

Legal mandate and objectives

The Commission’s legal framework obliges it to (1) secure the physical integrity of burial sites, (2) collect admissible forensic evidence for criminal prosecutions, (3) create a permanent archive of documentation, and (4) offer families the possibility of identification and dignified re‑burial. These goals echo the principles of the Istanbul Protocol and the UN’s guidelines for victims of mass atrocities.

Preparatory survey methods

Before any ground disturbance, the Commission conducts a multi‑layered survey:

• Satellite‑imagery analysis to locate anomalous soil disturbances.
• Ground‑penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry to map subsurface voids.
• Witness testimony collected by Yazda’s documentation team, which has recorded over 1,200 survivor statements since 2015 (Yazda 2018)³.
• Environmental assessment to plan safe access routes.

Excavation protocols

Excavations follow a strict chain‑of‑custody procedure:

1. Site security: Military or police units establish a perimeter to prevent contamination.
2. Grid mapping: The burial area is divided into 1‑meter squares, each logged with GPS coordinates.
3. Stratigraphic removal: Soil is removed layer by layer, preserving the original burial context.
4. Documentation: High‑resolution photography, 3‑D photogrammetry, and written field notes record every step.
5. Biological recovery: Remains are recovered by forensic anthropologists, who record skeletal position, trauma, and associated artefacts.
6. Sample collection: Tissue, bone, and teeth are taken for DNA profiling; soil samples are retained for possible chemical analysis.
7. On‑site analysis: Portable X‑ray and forensic pathology kits provide preliminary cause‑of‑death assessments.

All evidence is sealed in tamper‑evident containers and logged in a digital evidence management system that timestamps each entry.

Biological evidence and identification

DNA extraction follows protocols established by the International Commission on Missing Persons, enabling cross‑border comparison with family reference samples stored in the ICMP database. As of the 2025 exhumations, DNA matching succeeded in identifying 68% of recovered remains, a rate that the Truth Commission aims to improve through expanded reference sampling (Yazda 2025)¹.

Documentation and chain of custody

Every artefact, from personal jewellery to clothing fragments, receives a unique barcode. The Commission’s evidence‑tracking software generates an immutable audit trail, satisfying both Iraqi criminal procedure and international standards for war‑crimes evidence.

Integration with judicial processes

Forensic reports are submitted to the Iraqi Central Criminal Court and to the International Court of Justice where applicable. The Commission’s findings have already been referenced in the prosecutions of former ISIL commanders, demonstrating the direct link between excavation data and accountability.

International collaboration and capacity building

UNITAD’s 2024 contribution of USD 2.4 million upgraded the MGMD’s laboratory with DNA sequencers, high‑resolution scanners, and a secure data server (UNITAD 2024)⁴. Ongoing mentorship from ICMP experts ensures that Iraqi technicians adhere to best‑practice protocols, fostering a self‑sustaining forensic infrastructure.

In the oral tradition

Yazidi oral poetry (qewl) repeatedly invokes the memory of those buried in the valleys of Sinjar, stressing the community’s duty to remember and to honor the dead. One well‑known qewl, attributed to the 19th‑century poet Sheikh Ebdilqadir, states:

“We shall not let the earth swallow our cries; the stones shall speak the names of those taken by fire.”

This verse underpins the cultural imperative that drives forensic work: uncovering the graves is both a scientific task and a fulfilment of a sacred promise to the ancestors.

Scholarly disagreement

Kreyenbroek argues that forensic excavation should prioritize rapid DNA identification to provide closure for families, even if it means a less exhaustive archaeological recording (Kreyenbroek 2022). In contrast, Açıkyıldız contends that preserving the full stratigraphic context is essential for historical truth‑telling and for future generations to understand the scale of the genocide (Açıkyıldız 2023). The Truth Commission adopts a hybrid model, allocating separate teams for rapid identification and for meticulous archaeological documentation.

Common misconceptions

Regional variation

The forensic approach adapts to local conditions:

• Sinjar (Iraq): Dense desert terrain necessitates extensive GPR surveys; security is coordinated with Iraqi forces.
• Sheikhan (Iraq): Hilly topography requires drone‑based photogrammetry before ground work.
• Syrian Yazidi enclaves: Cross‑border collaboration with Syrian forensic teams is limited by political access, so remote sensing plays a larger role.
• Turkey & Caucasus diaspora: Exhumations are rare; the focus is on DNA repatriation and archival documentation.

Timeline

Data table