No Justice for Ezidi Genocide Survivors – It’s All About Money and Power – Nothing Personal
In 2014, ISIS launched a brutal campaign against the Ezidis in Shingal (Sinjar), in northern Iraq. Thousands of Ezidi men, boys, and elderly women were killed, while women and girls were abducted, sold into sexual slavery, and subjected to systematic and organised abuse. Boys were forced to become child soldiers. The UN has concluded that it is a a genocide but so far, no large scale efforts have been made to hold IS-terrorists accountable and bring justice for survivors. With the current crisis in Syria, justice for the Ezidis and accountability for perpetrators seems even more unlikely.
Although a few ISIS members have been convicted in European courts, most recently in Germany, France, Netherlands and Sweden (ongoing). In Iraq, many ISIS perpetrators are charged with terrorism rather than war crimes, and the judicial process remains slow. For Ezidis, seeking justice in Iraq or Syria is not an option as many government officials are associated with terrorists, either relatives or just affiliated. This makes it impossible for victims remaining in the region to seek justice. Those families who have attempted to seek justice are left without closure as the Iraqi government has provided little transparency on the progress of trials.
The mass graves of Ezidi victims are a grim reminder of the scale of the violence. While the UN mission has excavated 68 graves, only a small number of bodies have been identified, with families often learning of their loved ones’ fate through social media rather than official channels.
The situation is worsened by Iraq’s cessation of cooperation with the UN in 2023, halting further investigations. Much of the evidence collected by the UN’s Unitad investigation unit is now in limbo. The lack of political will from both Iraq and the international community has left Ezidi survivors and victims’ families without justice.
The slow pursuit of accountability highlights the broader failure of international organizations to protect vulnerable populations during conflict. Without justice, the trauma of the Ezidi genocide will continue to impact future generations.
