On 9 December, the world marks the International Day for the Victims of Genocide — established in 2015 on Armenia’s initiative. For Ezidis, this day is a reminder that the 2014 genocide is not history. Nearly 200,000 Ezidis remain displaced, more than 2,500 are still missing, and mass graves in Sinjar await proper identification. remembrance must lead to justice, accountability, and real prevention.
Belgium has issued its first conviction for the 2014 genocide against Ezidis, with the Brussels Assize Court finding Islamic State fighter Sammy Djedou guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. The ruling marks Belgium’s entry among European countries prosecuting those responsible for the atrocities committed against Ezidis.
Belgian ISIS member Sammy Djedou is being tried in absentia in Brussels for genocide and crimes against humanity against Ezidi women. Prosecutors accuse him of enslaving, torturing, and raping three Ezidi women during ISIS’s 2014 attack on Shengal (Sinjar) in Iraq — crimes described as part of the group’s campaign to annihilate the Ezidis.
Belgium is set to hold its first-ever trial for genocide against the Ezidi people, as IS fighter Sammy Djedou faces charges in absentia for murder, rape, and sexual enslavement. For the survivors who will testify, the courtroom is more than a legal stage — it is a rare space to confront the violence that shattered their lives and to assert that the world cannot forget the genocide against the Ezidis.
Armenia has made progress in supporting minority languages, including Ezidi, but challenges remain in education and protection. Expanded school programs and radio initiatives help, yet teacher shortages and limited offerings threaten language survival. Upcoming legislation offers a key opportunity to safeguard the Ezidi language and culture.
Trial Against Couple Accused of Enslaving and Abusing Ezidi Children Under IS to Begin Tomorrow in Munich (München), Germany, for keeping two Ezidi girls aged five and twelve under the rule of the so-called Islamic State (IS). The crimes took place between 2015 and 2017 in Iraq and Syria. The charges include genocide, reflecting IS’s targeted campaign against the ancient Ezidi people, who follow the Sharfadin religion.
Murad Ismael, a prominent Ezidi activist and co-founder of the Sinjar Academy, is facing an arrest warrant issued by a court in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh. The warrant follows his outspoken criticism of Iraq’s Minister of Migration, Evan Faeq Jabro, and the Ministry’s handling of the ongoing crisis faced by Ezidi internally displaced persons (IDPs).
A proposal has been introduced in the Italian Parliament calling for the recognition of the genocide committed against the Ezidi people by ISIS in 2014. The move comes after years of international debate and growing calls for justice for the Ezidis, who endured unspeakable atrocities at the hands of ISIS during their brutal assault on Shengal (Sinjar), Iraq.
Some so-called academics spread false information about Ezidis, repeating extremist ideas. Ezidi Times encourages readers to stay alert and help stop the spread of these harmful myths.
The prosecutor has appealed the Stockholm District Court’s verdict against Lina Ishaq, who was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity,...
A 39-year-old Syrian man is accused of having fought for the so-called Islamic State (IS) in his home country before fleeing to Europe. He is also suspected of having held Ezidi prisoners in his business. The defendant pleaded not guilty, and his lawyer, Michael Drexler, argued that the wrong person had been charged. The man arrived in Austria in 2019 and was granted asylum in 2020. According to his lawyer, authorities had thoroughly examined his background and found no evidence linking him to IS.
The Stockholm District Court has sentenced Lina Ishaq to 12 years in prison for genocide, crimes against humanity, and severe war crimes committed against Ezidi women and children in Raqqa, Syria, during 2014 and 2015. The case is part of broader international efforts to hold members of the Islamic State (IS) accountable for their systematic persecution of the Ezidi minority.
Iraq’s ongoing crackdown on alcohol sales, which began in 2023 after years of sporadic enforcement, has led to the closure of numerous private clubs and venues, particularly those owned by Iraq’s Ezidis and Christians. However, critics contend that the ban has only fueled black markets and increased violence, without addressing the root causes of crime.
Hasna A., a Dutch woman, was sentenced to 10 years for ISIS membership and enslaving an Ezidi woman in Syria. This marks the highest sentence for a returned female ISIS member in the Netherlands.
The Shingal Autonomous Administration in Iraq has announced the launch of a signature campaign to recognize the atrocities committed against...
After public backlash regarding the decision to assign the guardianship of the Ezidi girl under state protection to an ISIS-family, has been reversed. The guardianship has now been revoked from the ISIS-family, and a lawyer will be appointed by the bar to assume guardianship duties.
The Ezidi child was initially rescued from ISIS in 2021 after being trafficked through the dark net for sale. Sabah Ali Oruç, who was arrested in connection with the abduction, admitted to bringing the child to Turkey in 2018 using a fake passport. He had previously purchased the child from ISIS in Iraq, where the child was sold for $500.
The proposed legal change would legitimize child marriage, putting young girls at greater risk of abuse, forced marriage, and poor health outcomes. Although the acts committed by the ISIS-members since 2014 should not be classified as “forced marriage” or even include the word “marriage”, the Iraqi government will in fact classify the genocide acts committed towards the women as “marriage”.
Iraq’s international commitments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and …
Great Seal of the United States.Photo: Wikimedia Commons. This year was the tenth anniversary of the Ezidi genocide. Legal experts...
Official Human Rights Complaint and Call for International Investigation into Technology and Social Media Companies’ Role in ISIS Crimes Against...
