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Sinjar Yazidi genocide – 12th anniversary protests

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2026-08-02 12:35 UTC → 2026-08-04 16:34 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Sinjar Yazidi genocide ~~by ISIS~~ – 12th anniversary protests

In the summer of 2014, after seizing Mosul, the Islamic State rapidly advanced on the Sinjar region of northern Iraq. Secret agreements between IS commanders and local Arab tribal leaders, coupled with a withdrawal of Kurdish Peshmerga forces, enabled the militants to surround Yazidi villages and carry out mass killings, abductions and forced conversions that have been recognized as genocide. Twelve years later, the anniversary of the August 2014 assault was marked by survivor testimonies and renewed international attention. United Nations investigations and independent reports continue to classify the attacks as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Survivors recount the siege conditions on Sinjar mountain, the obstacles faced at Peshmerga checkpoints, and the lifesaving corridors opened by local resistance groups. Estimates cite at least 5,000 deaths, 6,000‑7,000 women and children abducted, and around 400,000 displaced, with many mass graves still unexamined. On 3 August 2026, the Free Women Movement organized a press conference and demonstration in Istanbul, drawing activists, civil‑society groups and political representatives. Speakers highlighted the unresolved mass graves, the more than 2,500 Yazidis still missing, and ongoing insecurity, health, education and housing challenges in Sinjar. They called for fresh investigations and accountability for the perpetrators. Analysts note that the Sinjar assault was part of a broader regional strategy against Yazidi Kurds and that the area remains destabilised by PKK presence and illicit drug and arms trafficking. The commemoration emphasizes ongoing demands for accountability and the broader challenge of addressing war crimes in Iraq and the region.

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