Iraq judiciary vows justice for Yazidi genocide victims

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq is committed to holding accountable those responsible for crimes against the Yazidi community during the ISIS assault of 2014, the top judicial authority reaffirmed on Wednesday its

Speaking at a conference commemorating the Yazidi genocide, organized by the National Center for International Judicial Cooperation in partnership with the American University of Baghdad, Faiq Zidan, head of the Supreme Judicial Council, described the atrocities as a “deep wound in the heart of the nation,” recalling mass killings, forced displacement, and the abduction of thousands.

Stressing that the judiciary remains firmly committed to justice, he declared: “The law knows no exceptions, justice accepts no leniency, and there is no place in Iraq for a criminal to escape punishment.”

The judicial chief also highlighted the role of the National Center for International Judicial Cooperation in archiving evidence and documenting testimonies of survivors according to strict legal standards, adding that the center is expanding cooperation with other countries and international organizations to track down ISIS members and prevent impunity.

On August 3, 2014, ISIS overran Sinjar (Shingal) in Nineveh Province, home to a majority of Yazidis. The group massacred men and elderly women and abducted more than 5,000 women, girls, and children.

Although hundreds have since been freed, around 2,600 Yazidis remain missing.