Yazda statement for the 10th commemoration of the attacks on Kocho village in Sinjar

Yazda Honors Victims of the 2007 Terrorist Attacks on Tel Azer and Siba Sheikh-Khedir in Sinjar

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

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 .