Former ICC chief prosecutor says Yezidi Genocide must be recognised
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region-- Former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) sees the world community's recognition of the Yezidi Genocide as "significant."
Speaking to Rudaw on Monday, Luis Murinho Ocampo said he would spare no efforts to help the victims of the ISIS mass atrocities.
Ocampo and a group of Yezidi activists including Nadia Murad visited the Greece refugee camp of Petra Olympian in north of the country where over 1300 Yezidis have sought shelter.
"These people have escaped ISIS. They have fled from genocide and that is why they are here now in Europe," the former prosecutor said who visited Iraq recently and spoke with several survivors.
"I'm ready to do what ever in my power to help them and we want justice to be implemented in their case," he added.
Iraq is not a member of the ICC which makes it difficult for the world court to indict any alleged perpetrators of mass crimes in the country.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) however has said it will fully cooperate with the ICC to bring international charges against ISIS perpetrators involved in mass killing of Yezidi people.
Yezidi survivors have in the past said many of the non-Yezidi locals in Shingal had joined the ISIS squads and helped the militants to identify Yezidi families from Muslims.
Around 1,800 Yezidis were killed in the area, often in mass executions carried out in their own neighborhoods. At least 400 people were murdered in the Yezidi village of Kocho near Shingal, according to eye witnesses who have spoken to rights groups.
Kurdish authorities say the mass killings took place in 21 locations within few days from August 3, 2014 when the area was overtaken by ISIS militants.