Decade of Darkness: Urgent Action for Yazidi Genocide
On 2 May 2025, Sky News will release its new documentary on the Yazidi genocide and the global responses thereto over the last ten years. Titled 10 Years of Darkness: ISIS and the Yazidis, the documentary from the award-winning war correspondent Alex Crawford OBE calls for action to address the atrocities with comprehensive responses, including in relation to justice and accountability.
In anticipation of the release, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) organised a parliamentary session on the situation of the Yazidis and provided an opportunity to parliamentarians to see parts of the documentary and hear from Crawford about the findings of her years-long investigations and reporting. The session also featured a survivor of the Yazidi genocide.
IBAHRI Co-Chair Mark Stephens CBE said: ‘The survivors of the Yazidi genocide have been fierce in their fight for justice and accountability. However, they should not be left in this pursuit alone. We must stand with them and ensure that justice is delivered without any further delay. Many of the perpetrators came from countries such as the UK. We have legal and moral obligations to ensure that they are held to account.’
IBAHRI Co-Chair Hina Jilani commented: ‘This documentary showcases the importance of ensuring that international crimes, such as those committed against the Yazidis, are addressed with comprehensive responses. Justice and accountability are key and cannot be jeopardised.’
Saturday 3 August 2024 marked the 10th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide. On that day in 2014, Daesh (also known as IS, ISIS, ISIL, Islamic State) attacked Sinjar and unleashed a litany of atrocities against the community. Daesh killed many men and the elderly. Mass graves continue to be discovered to this day. They abducted boys to turn them into child soldiers. They abducted women and girls to turn them into sex slaves and subject them to horrific abuse. After Sinjar, Daesh also attacked the Nineveh Plains and forced over 120,000 Christian minority individuals to flee.
The atrocities are recognised as amounting to genocide. Presently, more than 2,600 Yazidi women and children continue to be enslaved, and there have been limited efforts to rescue them, despite the fact that the location of many of them is known. As such, the genocide against the Yazidis is considered ongoing; the persecution and suffering continue.
The IBAHRI has been raising the situation for many years and has called for comprehensive legal responses. Among others, in 2023 the IBAHRI published a mapping report looking into the legal responses to date and identifying gaps and recommendations to address them. The same year, the IBAHRI testified before the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ Daesh Inquiry .
In July 2024, the IBAHRI joined three major Yazidi-led organisations, the Free Yezidi Foundation , Yazda and the Sinjar Academy , and the Coalition for Genocide Response in a joint submission for the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) – Iraq , raising concerns and making several recommendations, including:
The IBAHRI is also providing a secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Yazidis , engaging Parliamentarians and the UK government on the issue.
Ever since the announcement that the Iraqi government wanted to conclude the mandate of the Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) – the mechanism established to collect and preserve the evidence of Daesh atrocities – is to close, the IBAHRI has been working on a proposal for a follow up mechanism.
The IBAHRI will continue to raise the situation of the Yazidis and seek more proactive approaches to help the community.
https://www.ibanet.org/Ten-Years-of-Darkness-The-Yazidi-Genocide-and-the-Need-for-Comprehensive-Responses