Day 2 of 31: Court Hearing in Sweden’s Genocide Case Involving the Ezidis
The Swedish national, named Lina Ishaq, is accused of having nine Ezidi children and women in her home in Raqqa, Syria between 2014 and 2016.
The Swedish national, named Lina Ishaq, is accused of having nine Ezidi children and women in her home in Raqqa, Syria between 2014 and 2016.
25.09.2024 A 35-year-old French woman, Sonia Mejri, is facing trial for genocide, crimes against humanity, including enslavement, torture, and rape, stemming from her time living with her former husband, Abdelnasser Benyoucef, a key ISIS figure, in Syria in 2015. Mejri and Benyoucef are accused of committing atrocities against a Ezidi Read more
This case is of historic importance since it is first time an individual is being prosecuted for the crime of genocide against the Ezidi people in Sweden. The victims currently live outside Sweden.
Ezidi district of Al-Qahtaniyah, west of Nineveh governorate, Ezidi people who are currently living in IDP camps still remember August 14, 2007, as the day when their region experienced the deadliest series of bombings in Iraq since the 2003 U.S. invasion.
As an ancient ethno-religious minority, the Ezidis have faced persecution for centuries due to their faith. The self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria viewed Ezidis as heretical devil worshippers.
The Yezidis are an ethno-religious minority with the majority speaking Kurmanji, one of the main Kurdish dialects, according to researchers. Geographically, they are classified as a dispersed minority in demographic centres where population density is homogenous and concentrated. They are mainly located in contested areas across several residential clusters, notably in the Sinjar region (locally known as Shingal) and the Nineveh Plain, which falls administratively under the central government. This region includes the Shekhan district, along with numerous Yezidi villages and towns in the Tel Keppe district, as well as the cities of Ba’shiqa and Bahzani in Nineveh province. There are also smaller population clusters in the southern and western parts of Duhok province, which have been part of the Kurdistan region since 1991, including towns and cities such as Sharya, Khanke, Ba’adre, and Derabun.
The third Iraqi women’s conference, held on 25 July in Baghdad and organized by the Iraqi Women’s Association and the Yazidi Women’s Freedom Movement (TAJÊ), focused on uniting against femicide and commemorating the victims of the 2014 Yazidi genocide. The conference included speeches highlighting the impact on women and children, the unknown fate of many captured by ISIS, and the need for women to organize against patriarchal violence.
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide. It has been ten years since over 10,000 Yazidis were brutally murdered. Ten years since more than 7,000 women and children were subjected to abduction, violence, and enslavement. Ten years since thousands have disappeared and over 2,600 are still missing without a trace. This article is republished on Ezidi Times with the kind permission of Jurist.org.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted Ezidi activists at the State Department on July 23 ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Ezidi genocide by ISIS.
In this article we give you a recap of the main events related to the Ezidis. Ezidi Athlete Yurik Mamedov Carried the Olympic Torch During the torch ceremony held in Paris for the 2024 Paris Olympics game, Yurik Mamedov was one of the torch carriers. Mamedov was supported by his Read more
The relationship between Kurdish political parties and the Ezidi population in Iraq has become increasingly complicated, shaped by historical, political, and social tensions. The Kurdish political parties maintain a monolithic stance, rooted in the ethnic and political landscape of the region. This article analyzes the current situation of the Ezidi people in Read more
Kosovo’s Special Prosecution has indicted a Kosovo citizen, identified as M.D., for crimes against Yazidi girls and women during their involvement in Syria and Iraq from 2014 to 2017. M.D. is allegedly an Albanian from Metohija, Kosovo. The charges include crimes against humanity and serious violations of armed conflict laws. Read more
A new draft law proposed by Ezidi representatives in the Iraqi parliament aims to recognize Ezidis as a distinct nationality, alongside Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen. The bill, introduced last week, seeks justice for the Ezidi people, which suffered severe atrocities under ISIS. The proposal has garnered significant support, with 182 Read more
On July 10, 2024, an Iraqi court sentenced Asma Mohamed, one of the wives of the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, to death. The court found her guilty of crimes related to the detention and enslavement of Ezidi women, which occurred during the Islamic State’s (ISIS) campaign against the Read more
19 April 2024 Workers taking part in the road repair in Sîba Şêx Xidir neighbourhood in the south of Mount Shengal have discovered a mass grave. It is not yet known how many bodies were found in the mass grave. The discovery of the mass reveals the atrocities committed by Read more
Ezidi tombs were being destroyed and vandalized. The tombs were reportedly specifically targeted because they were the tombs of Ezidi girls. The vandalizers have not only destroyed the tombs, but they have also thrown out the resting bones, showing no respect to the deceased people and their and their families.
Stockholm – 25 January 2024 A Swedish National – previously sentenced for enlisting her son into ISIS – is now suspected for crimes against the Ezid people In a shocking development, a 51-year-old woman from Western Sweden is now facing serious allegations of war crimes, including genocide, committed in the Read more
14 April 2924 Several NGOs have made a statement regarding the Yazidi Survivors Law. The full statement is available here. Summary of the Statement Experts and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have welcomed the enactment of the Yazidi Survivors Law on March 1, 2021, recognising it as a groundbreaking initiative aimed at Read more
16.04.2024 Yerevan On April 16, 2024, an extraordinary session of the Armenian Parliament convened to discuss the proposal of designating August 3 as a Memorial Day for the victims of the Ezidi Genocide in Sinjar, which occurred in 2014. This legislative action, proposed by Rustam Bakoyan, a representative from the Read more
Ezidi Times extends heartfelt greetings and warm wishes to all on the auspicious occasion of Charshama Sare Sale, marking the beginning of the Ezidi New Year. As we embark on this journey into the year 6774 according to the sacred Ezidi calendar, let us reflect on the resilience, unity, and Read more