Letters to 19 countries demand recognition of Shengal genocide

In the letters, the Diplomatic Committee of the TAJÊ explained that the massacre carried out by ISIS mercenaries on August 3, 2014, resulted in the killing, abduction, and displacement of thousands of Yazidi people, with women and children making up the majority of the victims.

The committee noted that around 2,900 people, mostly women and children, are still missing to this day, and that dozens of mass graves remain unopened.

The letter reads:

"Eleven years have passed since the massacre committed against the Yazidi community in Shengal by ISIS, which constitutes the 74th genocide in the history of this people. Despite the fact that this crime was carried out before the eyes of the world, the suffering of survivors and the families of the victims continues. Thousands remain missing, and new mass graves are still being discovered."

The Free Yazidi Women’s Movement confirmed that it has compiled a comprehensive file containing documents and evidence that prove the events in Shengal meet the definition of genocide under international laws and standards. It also pointed out that 14 countries around the world have officially recognized this crime to date.

The movement explained that it was established as a direct feminist response to the massacre, beginning in 2015 as part of the "Yazidi Women’s Council" and later expanding into the officially declared the Free Yazidi Women’s Movement (TAJÊ) in a 2016 general congress. Today, it continues its work in Shengal in defense of women’s rights and the Yazidi community.

The countries addressed in the letters:

Presidency of the Republic of South Africa

Ceremonial Department of the Italian State

Office of the President and Public Diplomatic Relations in Bulgaria

Office of the President of the Slovak Republic

Presidency of the Republic of Slovenia

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France

Presidency of the Republic of Finland

Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus

Presidency of the Republic of Croatia

Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs of Malta

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary

Presidency of the Republic of Austria

Presidency of the Republic of Greece

Presidency of the Government of Spain

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China

Presidential Office of India

Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres

President of the Republic of Lithuania

A-H 

ANHA