ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Swiss parliament on Tuesday passed a motion officially recognizing the crimes of the Islamic State (ISIS) against Iraq's Yazidi community as an act of genocide, calling for international reparations and justice for victims.
The majority of the Swiss National Council strongly condemned "the systematic and genocidal expulsion, rape and murder of the Yazidi people and the destruction of Yazidi cultural sites," committing the government “to ensure reparation for the crimes committed.”
According to a statement by the parliament, 105 lawmakers voted in favor of a bill seeking recognition of the genocide while 61 others voted against it. Twenty-seven legislators abstained.
When ISIS swept through the Yazidi heartland of Shingal in August 2014, committing genocide, the group killed an estimated 5,000 mainly men and older women and abducted 6,417 women and children who were forced into sexual slavery and labor.
The resolution comes amidst ongoing efforts to prosecute ISIS crimes under international law. According to a 2021 report from the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD), the attack on Yazidis constitutes clear evidence of genocidal intent.
UNITAD was established in 2017 to investigate crimes by ISIS. The team’s mandate in Iraq concluded on September 17, handing over gigabytes of data to Iraqi and Kurdish authorities detailing the crimes.
Several other Western countries have recognized the ISIS crimes against Yazidis as genocide.
Kurdish leaders have consistently condemned the Yazidi genocide perpetrated by ISIS, stressing the need for justice and reparations for the victims. They have called for international recognition of the crimes as genocide and increased support for the Yazidi community.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi federal government have been cooperating this year to return Yazidis to their homes in Shingal (Sinjar).
Efforts to help the Yazidis have included international rescue missions, such as the rescue of a Yazidi woman from Gaza in October, and ongoing initiatives to reunite abducted Yazidis with their families. Additionally, the KRG and the Iraq federal government have been working to facilitate the return of displaced Yazidis to their heartland of Shingal (Sinjar) and provide them with necessary support.
Updated at 7:50 pm
