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The media plays a crucial role in our commitment to Never Again. We work closely with our media partners to advance awareness and drive the narrative on the Yazidi Genocide. Yazda is widely quoted and cited in the global press. Thank you to our media partners for your persevering commitment to the Yazidi Cause.
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Date: 18 November The trial against the French industrial group Lafarge, its former directors, and various intermediaries for financing terrorism and breaching international sanctions will reopen today. An error in the date of the charges raised by the defendants has led to a suspension of the trial for almost two weeks, but it was corrected by the investigating judges and the trial can now resume. The trial is scheduled to close on 19 December 2025 and Yazda will be present throughout the proceedings to keep the community informed of any developments. The judicial investigation on Lafarge’s implication in crimes against humanity is still ongoing. Yazda emphasizes the importance of these historic proceedings, reiterating its commitment to seeking justice for the Yazidi community and all victims of ISIL.
Date: 14 November 2025 Brussels, Belgium: On 13 November 2025, the Assize Court in Brussels convicted ISIL member Sammy Djedou, known under his nom de guerre Abu Mussab Al Baljiki, of genocide and crimes against humanity. He is the first European man being convicted of these crimes. The trial was held in absentia since Djedou is presumed to have been killed in an airstrike in Raqqa in 2016. The public prosecutor stated that the crimes committed against the Yazidi victims were part of a broader intended plan to destroy the Yazidi community in whole or in part, thus amount to genocide and crimes against humanity. The trial, which is the first of its kind in Belgium, opened on 6 November 2025 and even though Djedou is presumed dead, is of great importance to Yazidi victims and other communities that suffered under ISIL’s rule. Three Yazidi survivors who were subjected to slavery and sexual enslavement participated as civil parties, with two of them testifying. Djedou and his wife inflicted rapes, beatings and deprivations of food on the three victims between August 2014 and 2016, while at least two of the three were still minors. This trial not only sheds light on how the genocide against the Yazidi was carried out, but also emphasizes the role of Sammy Djedou in ISIL propaganda and the spread of its ideology. He was born in the outskirts of Brussels in 1989 and left for Syria in 2012, where he married a Syrian woman. Djedou worked closely with the then ISIL spokesperson Taha Sobhi (Abu Muhammad al Adnani) and played a major role in the planning of the November 2015 Paris attacks (for which ten years were commemorated on the same day) and the 2016 Brussels. Additionally, the case raises questions about the role of families of foreign members in crimes committed against Yazidis. The investigation confirmed that Djedou’s family in Belgium was in contact with him at the time the crimes against all the three Yazidi victims were committed. The family provided him with financial means while he stayed in Syria. Djedou’s mother, Véronique L., has faced charges on the basis of financially enabling a terrorist group to carry out crimes of an international nature. Yazda salutes the courage of the survivors and witnesses to come forward and testify about the ordeals they went through. Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda, stated: “Despite the fact that thousands of European nationals joined ISIL, this is the first time, more than a decade later, that one has been convicted for genocide against Yazidis, and even then, only in absentia. It is an important step, but it also highlights how much more remains to be done. As in other landmark cases, the survivors’ courage is the driving force behind this outcome. Their willingness to testify made this verdict possible. We commend Belgium for taking this important step toward justice and urge more states to match this level of commitment.” -END- Download this press release 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: 6 November 2025 Brussels, Belgium: Today, the trial against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) member Sammy Djedou begins before the Assize Court of Brussels. Djedou, who will be tried in absentia (the trial is held without the presence of the accused), faces charges of genocide and crimes against humanity against Yazidi survivors. This is a landmark case, as it is the first time Belgium prosecutes an individual for genocide and crimes against humanity against members of the Yazidi community, following similar trials held in Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden, with France expected to follow in early 2026. The now 36-year-old Belgian travelled to Syria in 2012 to join ISIL, where he adopted the nom de guerre Abu Mousaab al-Belgiki. Since his departure, Djedou has never returned, and is presumed dead, likely killed on December 4, 2016, in a US drone strike in Raqqa, Syria. The Federal Public Prosecutor's office opened a judicial case against Djedou on 12 October 2021, charging him with genocide, and rape and sexual slavery as crimes against humanity. In particular, Djedou is accused of having allegedly raped and sexually enslaved three Yazidi women, including minors, between 1 November 2014 and 31 December 2016. The survivors, now in their late twenties, will participate in the trial as civil parties. Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda, commented: “This first in absentia trial of an ISIL member for crimes against Yazidis remains a powerful tool for justice. Many ISIL members, especially men, were killed before they could be brought to court, but accountability must not die with them. Djedou is also the first European man charged with genocide and crimes against humanity against the Yazidis, exposing the persistent failures of European states to repatriate and prosecute their male nationals. As the situation in Syria evolves, this case shows that justice is still possible and that political inaction can no longer be an excuse. Despite the open dialogue with the new Syrian government, thousands of European nationals remain in camps in Syria. European countries must find a comprehensive solution instead of leaving the burden to Iraq and Syria, while ignoring survivors’ calls for meaningful justice.” Yazda will monitor the legal proceedings, and will keep the community informed of any developments, reiterating its commitment to seeking 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. 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: 4 November 2025 Paris, France - On November 4, 2025, the trial against the French industrial group Lafarge, its directors and various intermediaries will begin before the 16th criminal section of the Paris Judicial Court (Tribunal judiciaire de Paris). Lafarge, the world’s largest cement manufacturer, and now a subsidiary of the Swiss group Holcim, will appear before court on counts of financing terrorism and breaching international sanctions. The company, as well as a number of its directors, are accused of having paid, via its Syrian subsidiary and various intermediaries, millions of euros to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) as well as other jihadist groups (Jahbat Al-Nosra, Ahrar Al-Sham) to keep its cement plant in Syria operating between 2013 and September 2014. The trial will run for six weeks, during which Yazda is seeking to participate as a civil party to ensure the voice of the Yazidi community, who suffered first-hand from ISIL’s ideology of terror in the region, is heard. This is a landmark case in France and beyond, shedding light on the potential role of multinational corporations in enabling atrocities in conflict zones and demonstrating that they can be held accountable in court for financing terrorism. At its core lies the pursuit of corporate accountability, a principle that is all the more crucial given the gravity of the alleged human rights abuses. This trial represents a significant milestone in advancing international justice and business ethics. Yazda will monitor the legal proceedings, and will keep the community informed of any developments, reiterating its commitment to seeking justice for the Yazidi community and all victims of ISIL. While this first chapter of the Lafarge case dawns, Yazda continues to play its part in the remaining pending judicial investigation targeting Lafarge on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity. Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda commented: “This trial is about more than one company; it is about the global responsibility to ensure that those who financed or enabled ISIL are held accountable. For Yazda and for survivors of ISIL crimes, justice must reach not only the perpetrators of violence but also those who profited from it.” Louis Falgas, Luke Vidal and Rachel Lindon, French counsel for Yazda added: “Yazda’s participation to the first judicial episode of the ongoing investigations targeting Lafarge and its former directors is rooted in the idea that by financing terrorist organisations, in particular ISIL – be it by wilful negligence or motivated by corporate greed – the cement corporation logistically enabled the organization of the annihilation of the Yazidi people.” -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: 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.