By: TII team
December 17, 2024
A wide view of the Chamber of the National Council, the lower house of the Swiss Federal Assembly, in Bern, January 1, 2011. Photo: UN
ZURICH,— The Swiss parliament has formally recognized the atrocities committed by Islamic State (ISIS) militants against Iraq’s Yazidi community as genocide, calling for international justice and reparations for the victims.
On Tuesday, the National Council voted 105 in favor, 61 against, with 27 abstentions, according to an official statement.
Lawmakers strongly condemned the “systematic and genocidal expulsion, rape, and murder” of Yazidis and the destruction of their cultural heritage, urging the government to support reparations for the crimes.
The Yazidi community suffered unimaginable horrors beginning in August 2014, when ISIS militants stormed the Sinjar district in northwest Iraq.
The attack followed the withdrawal of Kurdish militia forces under the command of former Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani, leaving the Yazidis vulnerable.
Thousands fled to Mount Sinjar, trapped without food or water. ISIS militants slaughtered men and boys, while thousands of women were raped, enslaved, and sold into captivity across Iraq, Syria, and beyond.
According to the Yazidi Rescue Office, approximately 360,000 Yazidis managed to escape and seek refuge, but their suffering remains acute.
Before the genocide, Iraq’s Yazidi population was estimated at around 600,000, with many living in Nineveh province near Mosul. Today, much of their community remains displaced.
The Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking religious minority with roots in ancient Mesopotamia, practice a faith influenced by Zoroastrianism and Sufism. Hardline Islamist groups, including ISIS, regard them as heretics, fueling the violence against them.
Switzerland joins other Western countries in officially acknowledging the genocide and advocating for justice. This recognition reinforces the global call for accountability and reparations for the Yazidi community, whose recovery depends on sustained international support and commitment.
Copyright © 2024 The Insight International. All rights reserved
ZURICH,— The Swiss parliament has formally recognized the atrocities committed by Islamic State (ISIS) militants against Iraq’s Yazidi community as genocide, calling for international justice and reparations for the victims.
On Tuesday, the National Council voted 105 in favor, 61 against, with 27 abstentions, according to an official statement.
Lawmakers strongly condemned the “systematic and genocidal expulsion, rape, and murder” of Yazidis and the destruction of their cultural heritage, urging the government to support reparations for the crimes.
The Yazidi community suffered unimaginable horrors beginning in August 2014, when ISIS militants stormed the Sinjar district in northwest Iraq.
The attack followed the withdrawal of Kurdish militia forces under the command of former Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani, leaving the Yazidis vulnerable.
Thousands fled to Mount Sinjar, trapped without food or water. ISIS militants slaughtered men and boys, while thousands of women were raped, enslaved, and sold into captivity across Iraq, Syria, and beyond.
According to the Yazidi Rescue Office, approximately 360,000 Yazidis managed to escape and seek refuge, but their suffering remains acute.
Before the genocide, Iraq’s Yazidi population was estimated at around 600,000, with many living in Nineveh province near Mosul. Today, much of their community remains displaced.
The Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking religious minority with roots in ancient Mesopotamia, practice a faith influenced by Zoroastrianism and Sufism. Hardline Islamist groups, including ISIS, regard them as heretics, fueling the violence against them.
Switzerland joins other Western countries in officially acknowledging the genocide and advocating for justice. This recognition reinforces the global call for accountability and reparations for the Yazidi community, whose recovery depends on sustained international support and commitment.
Copyright © 2024 The Insight International. All rights reserved
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