Yazidis

The Yazidis are an ethno-religious group primarily residing in northern Iraq. They follow a syncretic religion with roots in Zoroastrianism. In recent years, the Yazidis have been the target of systematic persecution by the Islamic State (ISIS), which considers them heretics. This persecution has included mass killings, sexual enslavement, and forced conversion. The Yazidis are newsworthy due to ongoing legal proceedings against individuals accused of participating in the genocide against them. Recently, a French court ordered a trial for a woman accused of complicity in the genocide by housing and then returning a young Yazidi girl to her ISIS captor. Additionally, a French ISIS member was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity for atrocities against Yazidis. These legal actions highlight the ongoing efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for the crimes committed against the Yazidi people and underscore the continued relevance of the Yazidi genocide as a matter of international justice and human rights.