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September 29, 2022

September 29, 2022

September 29, 2022

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Rana Farah

+961 (3) 004267

WASHIGNTON, September 29, 2022 – The chronic absence of security is debilitating the Yazidi community and other minority groups in Sinjar. With a long-term power vacuum that has not been resolved by the Sinjar Agreement, the security breakdown is enforcing armed groups and putting humanitarian and socio-economic development prospects at serious risk. 

The security situation was debated in an expert panel hosted by the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center. A new policy paper titled, “Collapsed security threatens the future of Yazidis and minorities in Sinjar,” was launched sharing detailed examples of community lived experiences and specific urgent recommendations for national and international stakeholders. The paper is co-authored by Yazda, a community-led institution, and The Zovighian Partnership, a long-time social investor in the Yazidi Cause, and highlights the direct concerns and recommendations of community members.

Key speakers included: Ambassador Mark Green, President, Director, and CEO of The Wilson Center; Jennifer Gavito, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Press and Public Diplomacy and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iran and Iraq at the United States Department of State; Haider Elias, Co-founder and President of Yazda; Nadine Maenza, President of the International Religious Freedom Secretariat; and Lynn Zovighian, Co-founder and Managing Director of The Zovighian Partnership.


Absence of safety and security threatens the future of Yazidis 

“Safety and stability remain dangerously compromised due to the chronic and growing presence of armed groups and militias. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jennifer Gavito emphasized that the presence of multiple armed groups is creating an insecure, unstable environment that inhibits any means for rebuilding and recovery. She emphasized, “The USA continues to prioritize the recovery of all communities that were subjected to genocide and other atrocities by ISIS.” She urged Iraqi leaders to engage in a sincere and inclusive dialogue that leads to a political compromise and avoids further violence. 

 

Wilson Center President Ambassador Mark Green highlighted: “The absence of security is hampering humanitarian decisions, justice mechanisms, infrastructure and strategic development, as well as shaping the geopolitical positioning of Sinjar.”

Lynn Zovighian, Co-founder and Managing Director of The Zovighian Partnership, explained that security, as defined by Yazidi community members, is “a trusted inclusive public asset that all Sinjaris can count on, that is implemented with full accountability by national stakeholders with a strong hand from the international community to make sure that no one falls through the cracks.”

Haider Elias, Co-founder and President of Yazda stressed the need to amplify the voices of Yazidi survivors who are unable to return to their homeland with fears that they may become vulnerable again in case of another attack on Sinjar. “The conflict between multiple militia groups in Sinjar is killing a lot of innocent Yazidis. There are many other reasons that make Yazidis cautious when thinking about living in Sinjar again,” stated Elias.


The deprived state of security and consequential fragile rule of law critically endangers the lives of families. Nadine Maenza, President of the International Religious Freedom Secretariat, further emphasized, “It is so important that we include Yazidis and Sinjari residents in their own security.” She added, “The international community can help a different way forward and push away from this ‘rocket diplomacy’ so we can move forward with a secure place for the Yazidi community to go back to their homeland.”


Recommendations to strengthening security in Sinjar

Given the significant delays in addressing and resolving security in Sinjar, the paper provides time-critical actionable policy recommendations that have been co-defined with Yazidi community members. 


Panelists expressed disappointment in the chronic policy of inaction amongst key stakeholders and highlighted these recommendations and called for the inclusion of all communities to assure self-determination and community-led decisions, mandates, and actions. Six recommendations are prioritized in the paper:


  1. Update the Sinjar Agreement with meaningful community inclusion;
  2. Activate long-term budgets for local law enforcement and capacity building that includes community recruits;
  3. Close all non-state checkpoints and ensure the safe and trusted movement of aid, goods, services, and people;
  4. Establish and fund a multi-stakeholder taskforce to define and oversee a security plan with community co-decision-making seats;
  5. Establish and fund a community-led independent oversight body to monitor progress and ensure accountability; and
  6. Introduce legislation that ensures safety as a human right for all citizens.


“The biggest mistake that was done with the Sinjar Agreement is the exclusion of the Yazidi community and the Sinjar community in general in drafting this agreement. Having said that, there is a way forward with this agreement only if it includes the Yazidi community and Sinjar community," stated Maenza. 

“What is so important is to appreciate that everything is time-critical. The challenge that we are facing today is that the breakdown is speeding up,” stated Zovighian. “There is nothing else that we can ask for if we don't get security right and this is why this is not only a pertinent topic, it is not only overdue, it is indispensable, it is a prerequisite for all,” she concluded. 

In closing remarks, Elias emphasized: “The genocide is ongoing; it is a human rights issue.” He added: “They [armed and political actors] have all the time onwards. That is why the longer it takes the better it is for them. But it is a disaster for Yazidis suffering inside refugee camps.”


Download press release here.


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Yazda is a global community-led institution that protects and champions all religious and ethnic minority communities, including Assyrians, Chaldeans, Kakais, Shabak, Yazidis, and others in Iraq, Kurdistan Region, and Syria.


Founded in 2014 at the onset of the genocide perpetuated by Da’esh, also known as Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) against the Yazidis, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity against other minorities, Yazda leads advocacy and strategic projects in Dohuk, Sinjar, and the Nineveh Plains, as well as global diaspora hubs.


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The Zovighian Partnership is a family-owned social investment platform, established by father and daughter in 2013. Deeply invested in R&D, we are committed to delivering ethical, inclusive, and innovative design, research, and prototypes.


The Zovighian Partnership Public Office is committed to delivering significant resources to bringing grounded methodology, sound governance, and rigorous strategic thinking to communities and cities in crisis. We hold ourselves accountable to giving voice to the diversity of views that are central to long-term and sustainable peace and socio-economic enablement.


To find out more,  www.zovighianpartnership.com


The Wilson Center, chartered by Congress in 1968 as the official memorial to President Woodrow Wilson, is the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum for tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue to inform actionable ideas for the policy community. The Wilson Center’s Middle East Program serves as a crucial resource for the policymaking community and beyond, providing analyses and research that helps inform U.S. foreign policymaking, stimulates public debate, and expands knowledge about issues in the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

www.wilsoncenter.org

8 March 2025
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12 February 2025
Baghdad, 12 February 2025 Yazda's Executive Director, Natia Navrouzov, met with Judge Ali Hussein Jafat, President of the National Center for International Judicial Cooperation (NCIJC), and his team to discuss pathways toward justice and accountability for ISIL crimes in Iraq. Hasan Jamil Khalid from the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR), the meeting’s organizer, was present as well as William Warda from Hammurabi Human Rights Organization and Yazda's Head of Programs, Zoe Paris. The NCIJC was established under the Iraqi High Judiciary following the closure of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) in September 2024. The center’s mandate is to continue UNITAD’s work, focusing on delivering justice and accountability for crimes perpetrated by ISIL. This meeting marked the NCIJC’s inaugural engagement with civil society organizations (CSOs) in Iraq. All participants underscored the importance of building robust partnerships between the center and CSOs to ensure the justice process in Iraq remains survivor-centered and transparent. During the discussions, Yazda’s Executive Director raised several critical points: ● Pursuit of Justice Post-UNITAD Closure: Despite UNITAD’s departure, affected communities maintain hope for justice regarding international crimes committed in Iraq. Natia Navrouzov emphasized that Iraq must take the first step by passing legislation to criminalize core international crimes (war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity). In response, Judge Ali Hussein Jafat noted that until such a law is adopted, prosecutions for international crimes will proceed using Anti-Terrorism Law No. 13 of 2005 alongside provision 7 of the Yazidi Survivors Law. ● Ensuring Survivor Safety and Informed Consent: The center must guarantee the safe participation of survivors in judicial processes, including the full implementation of witness protection measures. Survivor testimonies must be handled with the utmost care and confidentiality, shared only with their informed consent. ● Concerns Over the General Amnesty Law: The Yazidi community expressed significant concern about the potential implications of the general amnesty law, fearing it could lead to the release of ISIL members currently imprisoned in Iraq. The Supreme Judicial Council has the next day issued a statement addressing these concerns and providing clarification on scope of the amnesty law which can be accessed here: Supreme Judicial Court Statement . Yazda remains committed to continued engagement with the NCIJC to ensure that avenues for prosecuting international crimes and securing justice for ISIL survivors are firmly established and upheld in Iraq. -END- 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.
11 December 2024
11 December 2024 Today, the international crimes division of the District Court of The Hague handed down the verdict in the Hasna A. case . It is the first trial in the Netherlands in which a member of the so-called Islamic State in Syria and the Levant (ISIL, also referred to as ISIS, IS, or by its Arabic acronym Daesh) has been convicted for crime committed against Yazidis. Hasna A., a Dutch national, travelled to Syria in 2015 with her four-year-old son, married an ISIL-member and lived in the ISIL-controlled city of Raqqa. She was tried for charges related to membership of ISIL, a terrorist group, as well as for endangering her son by bringing him with her to Syria and keeping him there. Importantly, Hasna A. also stood trial for the use of two Yazidi women as domestic slaves. The Yazidi women –referred to throughout the criminal proceedings only as ‘Z.’ and ‘S.’— had been enslaved by ISIL in August 2014. They were enslaved and kept in several houses where Hasna A. stayed whilst living in Raqqa in 2015 (Z.) and 2016 (S.), and Hasna A. forced them to perform domestic chores. Hasna A. also forced Z. to look after her four-year-old son. The slavery charges were brought against Hasna A. as crimes against humanity. Hasna A. is one of twelve Dutch women who had been repatriated from detention camps in Northern Syria at the end of 2022. She was arrested upon arrival in the Netherlands and taken into pretrial detention, appearing before the Trial Panel every three months. The Trial Panel had referred the case to the investigating judge and further investigation took place into the charges, which included hearing both Yazidi women as witnesses in 2024. The substantive hearings in the criminal proceedings against Hasna A. took place before the Trial Panel on 14, 16 and 17 October 2024. In today’s verdict, the court sentenced Hasna A. to a 10-year prison sentence for four offences: enslaving Z. in Syria in 2015, membership to the terrorist organization ISIL, promoting terrorist crimes and endangering her minor son. The court held that the enslavement of Z. amounted to a crime against humanity. The sentence is higher than the demand of the public prosecutor, who had demanded a prison sentence of eight years. The slavery charges against S. were not proven and Hasna A. was acquitted in relation to this offence. The verdict is available in Dutch and an English translation will be available soon. The two Yazidi survivors Z. and S. who participated in the trial as victims (survivors), injured parties and witnesses to the facts were accompanied by Yazda and supported throughout the process with translation, mental health and awareness support. The arrest, prosecution and trial of Hasna A. sends a clear message that, like other countries applying similar universal jurisdiction principles, the Netherlands will not be a safe haven for ISIL perpetrators. With today’s conviction, the Netherlands becomes the second country in the world to convict an ISIL-member for international crimes committed against Yazidis, looking beyond terrorism. Z. commented : "Our dream has finally come true, and we’ve achieved the result we longed for. This woman, Hasna A., caused us immense harm, and now it’s time for justice to prevail. Holding individuals accountable for their actions is a vital part of the justice process." S. added: "Honestly, I’m truly relieved to see justice finally served. However, a 10-year prison sentence feels insufficient and will never fully compensate for the suffering we have endured.” The outcome of this trial would have also not been possible without their legal representatives, Brechtje Vossenberg and Barbara van Straaten from law firm Prakken d’Oliveira Human Rights Lawyers in Amsterdam (the Netherlands). Brechtje Vossenberg commented: “It is thanks to the bravery and resilience of women like Z. and S. that the court was able to hand this verdict down and convict Hasna A. for the international crime of slavery committed against Z. Despite the disappointment that the charges relating to S. were unfortunately not proven, the verdict still marks another milestone in the long road to justice for the Yazidi community. It is the first of its kind here in the Netherlands and an important signal that the international crimes committed against Yazidis will be prosecuted here whenever possible. My clients’ participation in this trial was crucial to the establishment of the truth and the measure of justice that was obtained here today. I take my hat off to them both.” The Dutch court took a groundbreaking approach by providing online access to the substantive hearing sessions in both Dutch and Kurdish Kurmanji. This allowed survivors abroad and those who were unable to attend the hearings in person, to follow remotely both the substantive hearings in October and the pronouncement of the judgement today. Yazda facilitated screenings of the trial in Duhok (Kurdistan Region of Iraq) and Sinjar (Federal Iraq) where most of the global Yazidi community members currently reside. Around 40 members of the Yazidi community, including family members of one of the witnesses in the case attended the events and were, for the first time in a decade, able to witness justice in action. Following the verdict, one participant commented: “We want ISIL criminals to face fair sentencing, and we hope other countries will follow the Netherlands’ example in prosecuting these criminals.” Another added: “Other trials should be accessible online, and survivors in those countries should be invited to attend.” This trial is another milestone in the quest for justice by ISIL survivors. It is also only the 10th conviction worldwide of an ISIL member for crimes against Yazidis, a decade since the start of the genocide. Indeed, 9 convictions were handed down in Germany so far, including three for genocide. Recently, Sweden and France have initiated legal proceedings against alleged ISIL members for their involvement in crimes against Yazidis, signaling an important step in holding perpetrators accountable in a broader international context. However, the recent and abrupt closure of UNITAD on 17 September 2024 might jeopardize ongoing investigations and trials in third countries as the question of the accessibility of the evidence has still not been resolved. Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda commented: "We commend the Dutch authorities and everyone who supported this case. Witnessing survivors follow the livestream of the verdict today from our offices in Duhok and Sinjar was a powerful reminder of the purpose behind our work, as it is ultimately for them. We are deeply proud of Z. and S., whose courage in coming forward made this case possible. While we are immensely relieved that Hasna A. has been convicted for her crimes, we had hoped the slavery charges concerning S. would also be fully acknowledged." ### Read the Arabic press release here. Download this English press release here. For media inquiries, please contact: Tonny Omondi Media and Communications Coordinator e: tonny.omondi@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.
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by Ahmed Burjus 14 March 2024
The release of this crucial report follows the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution to extend the mandate of the Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL ( UNITAD ) only until September 2024 ( UNSC resolution 2697/2023 ). The report reflects the concerns and recommendations of Iraqi NGOs and survivors' networks. Yazda, a member of the Coalition for Just Reparations ( C4JR ), joined an alliance of Iraqi NGOs in calling for comprehensive reparations for survivors of atrocity crimes perpetrated during the ISIL conflict in Iraq. In September 2023, prior to the passing of resolution 2697 by the UNSC, Yazda led the publication of a statement endorsed by 50 organizations expressing concerns about the imminent closure of UNITAD. Subsequently, within C4JR, Yazda facilitated consultations with NGOs online and in person, ensuring that their feedback was communicated to the UN, particularly in preparation for the UN Secretary-General's report released in January 2024 on Iraq’s request to receive UNITAD’s evidence. In parallel, Yazda consulted survivors’ networks, including Hope Givers, Survivors Voice Network (SVN), Speicher-1700 NGO, and the Yazidi Survivors Networks (YSN), incorporating their perspectives into the report. Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda and co-author of the report, comments: “The report, especially its concrete recommendations, is a testament to the deep knowledge of Iraqi civil society on issues of justice and the lack thereof in Iraq. Iraqi organizations are the experts and should not be ignored. We advocated for the creation of UNITAD but were not involved in its termination. To this day, we have not been presented with a clear strategy from Iraq and the international community regarding the fate and more importantly, the use, of the evidence collected by UNITAD and what comes next. While UNITAD’s completion roadmap, due on 15 March 2024, may provide some answers, we were not meaningfully consulted on it either. Moving forward, we want to be part of the conversation and of the solution.” For the Arabic version of the Press Release, click here . For any inquiries, please contact info@yazda.org ### 300 North 27th Street, Suite C. - Lincoln, Nebraska 68503, USA info@yazda.org - www.yazda.org
by Ahmed Burjus 22 January 2024
22 January 2024 Ceremonies in Baghdad, Solagh and the three villages (Hardan, Kocho and Qney) On 22 January 2024, under the auspice of the Office of the Prime Minister and in the presence of Iraqi and international officials and Yazidi community members, a funeral will be held in Baghdad following the identification of 41 Yazidi victims from Hardan, Kocho and Qney. Following this national-wide ceremony, the remains of the victims will be taken to Sinjar where a local-led ceremony will be organized on 24 January 2024, at the recently inaugurated Yazidi Genocide Memorial in Solagh. During this ceremony, Yazidi religious rituals will be performed. The remains of the victims will be then handed over to their families to allow them to bury them in their respective villages of Hardan, Kocho and Qney. From 24 to 26 January 2024, mourning days will be observed in these three villages and members of the community will be able to visit and pay their respects. The return of the sixth batch of remains and ongoing exhumations The identification of the remains was carried out by the Iraqi Medico-Legal Department (MLD) of Iraqi Ministry of Health, with the assistance of the UN Investigative Team for Accountability of Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) and the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). The UN-supported exhumation process in Sinjar started in March 2019 and is ongoing. So far, around 60 mass graves have been exhumed and around 20 still need to be opened. The mass graves in Kocho and Solagh were the first ones to be exhumed from March 2019, followed by Hardan in February 2022 and Qney in June 2022 . This is believed to be the sixth batch of remains of Yazidi victims to be returned to Sinjar and a total of 41 victims were identified. Previously, remains have been returned mainly to Kocho and Solagh and the identification process is still ongoing. Support provided by Yazda and partners As for previous ceremonies, Yazda and other organizations will accompany Yazidi community members during this extremely sensitive time. Yazda has been coordinating the process over the past months with the national authorities and members of the community as well as partners from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNITAD and Nadia’s Initiative which will be present to provide support during the ceremonies. From its side, Yazda will deploy different teams to the burial sites. Yazda’s Case Managers will be present to provide psychological support and Yazda’s Mobile Medical Unit will provide medical assistance to the community where needed. Yazda’s Documentation Team will film the official speeches, report on the ceremonies and interview the authorities and partners, including members of the MLD and representatives of UNITAD and ICMP. The community will be invited to provide feedback on the process and report any concerns. Yazda’s Investigation Coordinator and focal point for the event, Ismail Qasim comments: “We have been supporting the process of exhumations over the past 5 years at least and it is far from being done. The crime scenes left by ISIL are countless and necessite joint efforts from all stakeholders involved, including internationals. Therefore, it is crucial that Iraq continues its collaboration with entities such as UNITAD to support the affected communities to recover the remains and bury them in a dignified way." Yazda presents its condolences to all the affected families as well as the wider Yazidi community and reiterates its commitment to work tirelessly in the pursuit of justice and the truth. For the Arabic version of the Press Release, click here .
© Corporate compliance insights
by Ahmed Burjus 18 January 2024
Yazda welcomes the decision rendered on the 16 th January, 2024, by the Cour de Cassation, the French Supreme Court, confirming the indictment of Lafarge, now Holcim, for complicity in crimes against humanity. This decision echoes the landmark ruling in this case rendered in September 2021 , which held that any person can be indicted as an accomplice to crimes against humanity, if it knowingly provided support to the perpetrator of such crimes, even in the absence of intent to associate oneself with the commission of their crimes or to adhere to their criminal projects. With this new decision by the Cour de Cassation, the victims of the Syrian and Iraqi conflict are a step closer to justice for the horrors inflicted upon them by ISIS and other terror groups. This decision validates the gravity of the allegations against Lafarge and sends a strong signal that corporations must be held accountable for their actions, especially when they may contribute to crimes against humanity. “Yazda reiterates its commitment to seeking justice for the Yazidi community and other victims of ISIS. As a civil party in the Lafarge case, Yazda will continue to actively participate in the legal proceedings, in the pursuit of truth and accountability,” commented Natia Navrouzov, Legal Advocacy Director at Yazda. “This decision constitutes a significant milestone in these critically important proceedings, which will serve as a landmark for corporate accountability for international crimes. Despite numerous attempts by the defendants to obtain the dismissal of the charges of complicity of crimes against humanity on technicalities, we are now one step closer to having this case heard by a trial court and decided on its merits”, commented Luke Vidal, counsel for Yazda. For the Arabic version of the Press Release, click here . ### 300 North 27th Street, Suite C. - Lincoln, Nebraska 68503, USA info@yazda.org - www.yazda.org
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