Iraq has begun receiving thousands of captured ISIS members from detention facilities in northeastern Syria. Many of those transfered are individuals suspected of participating in atrocities against Ezidis. Authorities in Iraq have confirmed that between 7,000 and 8,000 ISIS prisoners are expected to be transferred from detention centers previously controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces. Among those being relocated are individuals suspected of committing genocide, crimes against humanity, and the use of chemical weapons during ISIS’ occupation of Iraqi territory.
Investigations have already started for detainees who have arrived in Iraq. Initial assessments have identified several prisoners as high-level ISIS members and individuals considered highly dangerous. Iraqi judicial authorities have assigned the cases to a specialized investigative court responsible for terrorism-related offenses. According to officials, all trials will be conducted under Iraqi law, and none of the transferred detainees were previously tried in Syria.
The transfer process began after escalating military developments in northeastern Syria earlier this year. Armed confrontations between Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces led to an internationally mediated agreement aimed at ending hostilities and integrating local administrative and military structures into state institutions. The shifting control over detention facilities accelerated arrangements to relocate ISIS prisoners to Iraq.
So far, more than 2,000 ISIS detainees have already been transported to Iraq through coordinated operations involving both air and ground transfers. The process is being carried out with support from the international coalition formed to combat ISIS. Authorities have stated that the detainees originate from 42 different countries. Decisions regarding potential extradition to their countries of origin will only be considered after the completion of investigations, which are expected to take several months.
The transfers are particularly significant for Ezidis, who were subjected to a systematic campaign of violence after ISIS seized large parts of northern and western Iraq in 2014. During the attack on Sinjar, ISIS militants carried out mass killings of Ezidi men and elderly women and abducted thousands of Ezidi women and girls, subjecting them to sexual slavery and human trafficking. Thousands of Ezidis remain missing, while rescue operations over the past decade have freed several thousand survivors.
Documentation efforts related to these crimes have resulted in the collection of extensive evidence. Iraqi authorities and international investigative teams have gathered thousands of records and testimonies detailing ISIS atrocities against Ezidis. These materials are expected to play a crucial role in future prosecutions.
Ezidi representatives and advocacy bodies have indicated they are preparing legal cases against ISIS members suspected of participating in crimes in Sinjar and other areas where Ezidis were targeted. While officials acknowledge that individuals responsible for the genocide are among those transferred, the identities of specific detainees have not yet been publicly released.
The relocation of ISIS prisoners to Iraq represents a key moment in long-standing demands for accountability for crimes committed against Ezidis and other groups targeted during ISIS rule. Investigations and legal proceedings now underway are expected to determine responsibility for one of the most devastating campaigns of violence carried out in Iraq in recent decades.
