By Payraw Anwar
Twelve years ago, the Ezidi community of Sinjar became the victim of one of the most horrific atrocities of the twenty-first century. Following the fall of Mosul in August 2014, the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) launched a brutal campaign of genocide against the Ezidis, targeting them solely because of their religious identity.
ISIS systematically massacred thousands of innocent civilians, including elderly people, women, and children. Entire communities were forced to flee their homes, while thousands of women and girls were abducted, trafficked, and sold into sexual slavery. Men and boys were executed, religious shrines were destroyed, and countless Ezidis were forced to convert to Islam under the threat of death. Children were separated from their families, indoctrinated with extremist ideology, and recruited as child soldiers.
These crimes constituted grave violations of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and international criminal law. They have been widely recognized as acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Yet, despite the scale of these atrocities, justice remains incomplete. Many mass graves have been uncovered, but numerous sites remain unexcavated. Thousands of Ezidi women and children are still missing, and many families continue to live without knowing the fate of their loved ones.
For the Ezidi community, the 2014 genocide was not an isolated tragedy. According to Ezidi historical memory, they have endured more than seventy campaigns of persecution throughout their history because of their religious identity. The events in Sinjar represent another painful chapter in this long history of suffering.
What Has the Iraqi Government Done?
Although the Iraqi Parliament enacted the Ezidi Female Survivors Law in 2021 to provide compensation, rehabilitation, and support for survivors, implementation has been slow, and many victims have yet to receive meaningful assistance. Efforts to ensure accountability have also faced significant obstacles. The United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) documented and preserved evidence of ISIS crimes, but its mandate ended before comprehensive judicial accountability was achieved. Iraq has yet to establish a dedicated judicial mechanism capable of prosecuting those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, despite thousands of ISIS members remaining in Iraqi custody.
The Kurdistan Regional Government has played an important humanitarian role by establishing the Office for Rescuing Ezidi Abductees, which has helped rescue thousands of survivors from Syria and supported displaced Ezidi families in camps across Erbil and Duhok.
As the world marks the twelfth anniversary of the Ezidi genocide, remembrance alone is not enough. The Iraqi government and the international community must renew their commitment to justice, accountability, reparations, and the safe return of displaced families. The scars of genocide cannot be erased, but genuine justice and sustained support are essential steps toward restoring dignity and ensuring that such crimes are never repeated.