The Office of the Rescued Ezidi Prisoners has released the devastating statistics regarding the atrocities committed by ISIS against the Ezidi people on August 3, 2014. According to their report, over 5,000 Ezidis were killed, and 6,371 were abducted, with many still unaccounted for. These numbers only reflect those who have been identified; the fate of many more Ezidis remains unclear.
On March 3, 2025, 42 Ezidi families, displaced during the 2014 ISIS onslaught, returned to their homeland in Shengal after living for over a decade in Çem Mişko Camp in Duhok. The families, totaling 163 individuals, resettled in the Digur sub-district and the villages of Sêkêniye and Rembûsî. This marks another step in the ongoing process of repopulating Shengal, as many more families are expected to return in the coming days.
The Ezidi people, who suffered horrific violence at the hands of ISIS in 2014, feel ignored by the government. Many Ezidis do not trust Iraq’s army or the Kurdish forces, which failed to protect them during the ISIS attacks. A recent decision to return Sunni Arab displaced persons (IDPs) to Sinjar led to protests, as many Ezidis saw it as a reminder of their trauma and the government’s lack of understanding.
A 15-year-old Ezidi girl has revealed a disturbing plot by the PKK after escaping from the group. In her testimony, she explains that the PKK, facing difficulty recruiting young fighters, has resorted to abducting Ezidi children in Syria, forcing them into their ranks.
Event Details
• Location: Palazzo San Daniele, Polo del ‘900, Piazzetta Antonicelli, Turin
• Dates: March 1–22, 2025
