What is the Yazidi Genocide?
Historical and geographic context
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The Yazidis are an ethno-religious minority rooted in Sinjar (Ninewa, Iraq). On 3 August 2014, ISIS attacked Sinjar, executing men and boys, enslaving women and girls, abducting children, and destroying shrines—crimes the UN later found to be genocide. (digitallibrary.un.org)
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Ten years on, ~200,000 Yazidis remain displaced, with precarious return conditions in Sinjar. (iraqdtm.iom.int)
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International recognition
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The UN Commission of Inquiry concluded: ISIS “has committed the crime of genocide against the Yazidis.”digitallibrary.un.org
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In Frankfurt (Nov 30, 2021), a former ISIS member (Taha A.-J.) received the world’s first genocide convictionfor crimes against Yazidis; Germany’s Federal Court of Justice confirmed the verdict in 2022/2023. (Amnesty International+2asil.org)
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The UN Investigative Team UNITAD completed its mandate on 17 Sept 2024, preserving extensive evidence for future prosecutions. (unitad.un.org)
Eight core patterns of harm
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Mass killings. ISIS carried out widespread executions of Yazidi men and boys during the Sinjar assault. (digitallibrary.un.org)
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Sexual slavery and rape. Women and girls were enslaved, sold, and repeatedly raped in an organized system of abuse. (UN Human Rights Office)
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Forced conversion and marriage. Victims were coerced to renounce their faith and “marry” captors under threat of death. (UN Human Rights Office)
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Abduction and indoctrination of children. Thousands of children were separated, trained, and exploited by ISIS. (digitallibrary.un.org)
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Destruction of shrines and cultural heritage. Dozens of Yazidi temples and sites were destroyed to erase identity. (The Guardian)
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Mass displacement. The attack triggered a protracted crisis; ~200,000 remain displaced a decade later. (iraqdtm.iom.int)
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Mass graves and exhumations. Ongoing exhumations continue to uncover graves, vital for truth and identification. (Nadia's Initiative)
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Continuing harm and missing persons. Years later, thousands remain missing, with survivors still seeking family members. (Reuters)
Major crimes & features (at a glance)
A non-state actor genocide: ISIS combined mass murder, sexual slavery, forced conversion, and child abductions with the destruction of sacred sites, producing long-term displacement and trauma. International courts and preserved UN evidence keep open accountability pathways.
(digitallibrary.un.org+2Amnesty International)
Quotes
“ISIS has committed the crime of genocide against the Yazidis.”
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“In the world’s first criminal trial addressing genocide against the Yazidis… the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt convicted Taha A.-J. for genocide.”
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“Many men who refused to convert have been murdered, while women and girls have been sold as slaves to ISIL fighters.”
Reports & resources
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UN COI (2016): They Came to Destroy: ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis (genocide finding). digitallibrary.un.org
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UNAMI/OHCHR (2016): Yezidi Survivors of Atrocities Committed by ISIL (killings, sexual slavery, forced conversion). UN Human Rights Office
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Germany (2021–2023): Genocide conviction of ISIS member; ruling confirmed by Federal Court of Justice. Amnesty International
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UNITAD (archived): Investigative results; mandate ended 17 Sept 2024. unitad.un.org
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IOM/DTM (2023): Yazidi displacement & migration analysis (≈200,000 still displaced). iraqdtm.iom.int
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UN SRSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict (2024): 10-year call to sustain justice and survivor support. United Nations
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Nadia’s Initiative: Reconstruction in Sinjar; survivor-led projects and exhumation support. Nadia's Initiative