ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdish authorities confirmed that they have closed the office of the rights organization Yazda, which advocates on behalf of the Yezidi community, because it did not abide by the terms and conditions of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the Region. Monday evening, Yazda said in a statement that their offices were “formally closed by the Security Forces ‘Assayesh’ for unknown reasons, this includes all Yazda's humanitarian projects serving the Yazidi community.” Dr. Dindar Zebari, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s High Committee to Evaluate and Respond to International Reports, told Rudaw English that the closure came after the rights organization ignored an initial warning to abide by the rules of the Kurdistan Region regarding the work of NGOs. Zebari said the department for NGOs had earlier warned them to fully abide by the rules, but that they failed to do so in “some aspects” and they “stepped outside their organizational mission.” He refused to give specific details of the closure, saying that the decision came from the NGO department. Rudaw English could not immediately reach the NGO department for comment. Local and international organizations have to register with the NGO department in order to work in the Kurdistan Region. Zebari said Yazda is a registered organization.
