Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

[Anthea]

Office of KDP candidate
set ablaze in Shingal

The office of a Yazidi candidate running on the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) ticket for the November legislative elections, was set ablaze by unidentified individuals at dawn on Thursday, following armed clashes between his security detail and the attackers

"Security sides in Shingal have launched an investigation," Khalil told Rudaw. "I have set up two offices in Shingal and Sinune to serve our people."

Khalil, who is also currently a member of the KDP parliamentary bloc in Baghdad, said the attack occurred at 12am midnight. "They were unidentified individuals who set fire to our office's storages downtown Shingal. Our office sustained significant damage due to the fire, but did not cause any human losses," he said.

The KDP candidate assured his party's voters that "no side could stop us from campaigning."

The incident comes a day after the assassination of Safaa al-Mashhadani, a member of Baghdad’s Provincial Council, who was running on the Sunni Arab Sovereignty-Legislation Alliance ticket. The incident marked the first political assassination ahead of Iraq’s legislative elections scheduled for November 11, raising security concerns amid an already tense electoral atmosphere.

Under 'Partnership, Balance, and Agreement," ruling KDP officially on Sunday launched its campaigning for the November vote, in an event where President Masoud Barzani delivered a speech, urging a "calm" campaigning.

"I call for a calm election [campaigning]," KDP President Barzani told his party's candidates and supporters.

The KDP has traditionally had the strongest fan base among Kurdish voters,Yazidis included, in the Nineveh province.

With 175 names, KDP has the highest number of candidates who have fielded candidacy on its list. KDP has 61 candidates in Nineveh province, the party's highest number across all electoral constituencies.

Campaigning for Iraq’s November elections began on October 3 and will continue until November 8. Security forces and special voters will cast their ballots on November 9, followed by the general election on November 11.

The KDP currently has 31 representatives in the Iraqi parliament, including nine from Nineveh province - the highest among all the Kurdish parties in the Kurdish Region, followed by Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) 17.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/16102025

[Anthea]

Two Yazidi women rescued
from 11 years of ISIS captivity

Two Yazidi women from Shingal (Sinjar), kidnapped by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in 2014, have been rescued from an undisclosed location, an official from the Kurdistan Region Presidency said on Thursday

"Today, we are announcing good news that two Yazidi women aged 21 and 26 were rescued," said Hussein Qaidi, head of the Office of Rescuing Abducted Yazidis. The two women were abducted as children and spent 11 years in captivity.

Qaidi said the rescue began when they learned that the two women were in a neighboring country.

"After we were given the information, teams working with us were immediately tasked with the job. Thanks to the team and to those who helped us bring happiness back to their families," he said.

Qaidi declined to reveal where they had been held, citing security reasons and ongoing rescue efforts.

In its assault on Shingal in 2014, ISIS militants abducted 6,417 Yazidi women and children, many of whom were subjected to sexual slavery and forced labor. A total of 3,593 of them have been rescued, Qaidi said, adding that their office will continue its "efforts to rescue the remaining missing individuals."

Many Yazidi women and children have been rescued from al-Hol, the notorious camp in Western Kurdistan that houses tens of thousands of ISIS families and supporters. Others have been found in areas of Syria that were controlled by rebels or Turkish-backed armed groups, and some have been located in third countries

Although the group was territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, it continues to pose a security risk.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/07112025

[Anthea]

KRG Continues Search For Missing Yezidis

Eleven years after the liberation of Sinjar from ISIS, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) says efforts remain ongoing to locate and rescue thousands of Yezidis who were abducted during the 2014 genocide that devastated the community

On August 3, 2014, ISIS militants launched a sweeping assault on the Yezidi heartland of Sinjar, killing around 5,000 people and kidnapping 6,417 others. The attack triggered one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent Iraqi history, displacing thousands and forcing about 100,000 Yezidis to flee abroad in search of safety.

Hussein Qaidi, head of the KRG Office for the Rescue of Abducted Yezidis, told BasNews that “out of the total number of abductees, 3,593 have been freed. However, what is more heartbreaking is that 2,554 individuals are still missing, and there is no information available about their fate. This is evidence of the magnitude of this catastrophe and requires continuous international efforts.”

When ISIS captured Sinjar, thousands of Yezidi Kurds fled to Mount Sinjar to escape the militants. Trapped without food or water for nearly ten days, they faced starvation and dehydration before being rescued through a humanitarian corridor opened by the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces.

The evacuees were first transferred to Rojava in northern Syria and later brought back to the Kurdistan Region through the Semalka crossing, where many found refuge in Khanke camp in Duhok province.

The liberation of Sinjar came on November 13, 2015, when the Kurdistan Peshmerga, under the direct supervision of the then-President Masoud Barzani, launched a coordinated military offensive that successfully retook the district from ISIS control. The victory marked a turning point in the fight against the extremist group and paved the way for survivors to begin the long process of recovery and rebuilding.

Sinjar, located about 120 kilometers west of Mosul, is part of Iraq’s Nineveh province but remains one of the disputed territories claimed by both Baghdad and Erbil. Covering an area of 3,388 square kilometers, the district was home to more than 412,000 people before 2014, the vast majority belonging to the Yezidi faith — a centuries-old Kurdish religious community that has faced repeated campaigns of persecution throughout history.

The 2014 genocide left deep scars on the Yezidi population, with mass graves still being discovered and survivors continuing to suffer from trauma, displacement, and lack of justice. Despite years of investigation and international recognition of ISIS’s crimes as genocide, efforts to locate the missing and rebuild Sinjar have been hindered by political disputes, inadequate funding, and security challenges.

KRG officials say the ongoing search for the missing Yezidis remains a moral and humanitarian priority. Qaidi’s office continues to work with local and international partners to collect information, rescue survivors, and ensure that global attention remains focused on achieving justice for the victims of Sinjar’s tragedy.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/899072

[Anthea]

A team of experts from Baghdad has arrived in the Yazidi heartland of Shingal (Sinjar) to unearth the remains of dozens of people massacred by ISIS in 2014.

The two-week mission aims to excavate most of the remaining 27 mass graves in the district.

[Anthea]

Nadia Murad Urges Colombia’s President
to Recognize Yezidi Genocide

Yezidi activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad is emphasizing the need for justice and global recognition for her community, announcing that she has urged Colombian President Gustavo Petro to formally acknowledge the Yezidi genocide carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS)

Murad said in a post on X that she discussed “reparations, justice, accountability, and survivor-centered documentation” with President Petro, stressing the importance of ensuring that survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Colombia receive the support they deserve.

She noted that the meeting also focused on strengthening efforts to secure justice for victims of ISIS atrocities.

“I also urged President Petro to formally recognize the Yazidi genocide—a crucial step toward accountability and justice for survivors and families still seeking recognition and reparations,” she wrote.

Nadia Murad, now one of the world’s most prominent advocates for survivors of sexual violence, endured unimaginable brutality at the hands of ISIS militants.

In 2014, at just 21 years old, she and her community in Sinjar came under a devastating ISIS attack. The extremist group killed hundreds of people, including her mother and six of her nine brothers

Murad was among nearly 7,000 Yezidi women and children abducted during the assault. Like many others, she was subjected to rape, beatings and torture for months before eventually escaping.

Her testimony has been central to global efforts to document IS crimes, and her activism played a significant role in international recognition of the Yezidi genocide.

Murad continues to campaign for accountability, survivor support, and international recognition of the atrocities committed against her people.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/899744

[Anthea]

Mother, daughter freed from ISIS
reunite with family in Shingal

A Yazidi mother and her 11-year-old daughter were reunited with their family in Shingal (Sinjar), northern Iraq on Saturday after spending more than 11 years held captive by Islamic State (ISIS) militants

“I stayed in Syria for three years and then we went to Turkey. I have been in Turkey for nine years,” said Soad Khalaf. “About 10 days ago, I spoke with my family and thank God they helped me out and I was rescued.”

In its assault on Shingal in 2014, ISIS militants abducted 6,417 Yazidi women and children, many of whom were subjected to sexual slavery and forced labor. Over 3,500 of them have been rescued so far, with approximately 2,500 yet to be located.

Khalaf said that she and her child were relocated several times in Syria before they were taken to Turkey where she was kept for nine years, never allowed to leave the house. Her daughter does not speak any Kurdish because their captors forced them to speak Arabic only.

They were warmly welcomed home by their family

“I cannot describe how I feel. I’m very happy and it feels like a dream,” said Abdullah Shrem, Khalaf’s husband.

Khalaf’s mother was filled with joy at being reunited with her daughter and granddaughter, but it was tempered by the fact that other members of their family are still missing.

“I still have another daughter missing, and four of her cousins are still missing. Her aunt is still missing. We still have five missing women out there,” she said.

Many Yazidi women and children have been rescued from al-Hol, the notorious camp in Western Kurdistan that houses tens of thousands of ISIS families and supporters. Others have been found in areas of Syria that were controlled by rebels or Turkish-backed armed groups, and some have been located in third countries.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/291120256

[Anthea]

Germany's Greens reiterate opposition to deportation of Yazidis

Politicians from Germany's Greens on Sunday emphasized the need to prevent the deportation of Yazidis, following the introduction of a bill by the party in the German parliament to halt such deportations

Florian Hassler, State Secretary for Political and European Affairs of Baden-Wurttemberg, told Rudaw that any decision regarding the fate of Yazidis living in Germany lies with the federal government, but called for "more precision" when it coming to making decisions about their fate.

"The decision lies with the federal government, because we are a state government and don't directly make asylum and immigration law. But... the special situation of Yazidis who have suffered genocide cannot be compared with other people seeking refuge here.

Therefore, we ask the federal government to handle this with more precision and not send people back to an area they fled from due to terrible genocide. We try to make our institutions more aware in this regard," Hassler, who is also a member of the Greens, said.

Amid ongoing instability in the Yazidi heartland of Shingal and poor living conditions in camps across the Kurdistan Region housing members of the ethnoreligious group, the Green has recently presented a bill in the Bundestag to halt the forced deportation of Yazidis.

Germany has stepped up efforts to deport migrants

In August 2014, the Islamic State (ISIS) launched a brutal attack on Shingal, committing systematic killings, enslavement, and rape of thousands of Yazidis. Both the United Nations and the German Bundestag have recognized the attack as genocide.

Although ISIS has been expelled, much of Shingal remains devastated, lacking basic services, security, and infrastructure, with rival militias and political factions vying for control. This instability has left many Yazidis unable to return home.

Cem Ozdemir, a former minister and a member of the Greens, also opposed the deportation of Yazidis from Germany.

"We don't understand is that unfortunately the CDU [Christian Democratic Union] is preventing family reunification. We're talking about only 20 cases. I don't understand - Yazidis being sent back from Berlin, no normal person understands this. We have Turkish nationalists and Islamists here and nothing happens to them, yet Yazidis are being sent back. This is not appropriate," he said.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/world/01122025