German FM meets with Yezidi Nobel laureate Nadia Murad

“It was energizing to meet German FM Annalena Baerbock and discuss ways to encourage int'l prosecutions of ISIS members for genocide and sexual violence."
Germany's FM Annalena Baerbock recently met with Yezidi activist Nadia Murad (Photo: Nadia Murad/Twitter).
Germany's FM Annalena Baerbock recently met with Yezidi activist Nadia Murad (Photo: Nadia Murad/Twitter).

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Green Foreign Minister, recently met with Yezidi Nobel laureate Nadia Murad to discuss the international prosecution of ISIS members.

“It was energizing to meet German FM @ABaerbock and discuss ways to encourage int'l prosecutions of ISIS members for genocide and sexual violence,” Murad said in a tweet on Tuesday.

“As with all of Minister Baerbock’s policies, justice and support for #CRSV (Conflict-related Sexual Violence) survivors requires a survivor-centric approach.”

During the Yezidi genocide in August 2014, ISIS kidnapped thousands of Yezidi girls and women in Shingal (Sinjar), who were sold into slavery.

According to the latest data of the KRG’s Office for Rescuing Kidnapped Yezidis obtained by Kurdistan 24, at least 100,000 Yezidi's migrated abroad since 2014. Thousands of them have migrated to Germany, which has a large Yezidi community, and became like a second home for many Yezidi's.

Moreover, only 150,000 out of the 360,000 displaced Yezidi’s have returned so far to Sinjar.

The office also said that during the genocide, 1,293 Yezidi’s were killed by ISIS.

Read More: Yezidi women remain missing 8 years after Yezidi genocide

Moreover, 6,554 Yezidi’s (3,548 women and 2,869 men) were kidnapped by ISIS and and until now 3,554 abductees (1,207 women, 339 men, 1,051 girls and 957 boys) have been rescued from ISIS.

According to statistics, 2,717 Yezidi abductees (1273 women and 1444 men) have not been rescued from ISIS.

Last year, 80 organizations and experts urged the international community to do more to rescue the missing women.

Read More: Germany jails Iraqi jihadist for life for Yezidi genocide

Germany has one of the few countries that have prosecuted and sentenced ISIS fighters and women to jail for being involved in the genocide against Yezidi’s.

Germany has a special War Crimes Unit S4, responsible for the prosecution and charging of individuals in Germany in relation to international crimes.

This includes prosecutions against ISIS fighters and women for their role in the genocide committed against the Yezidis in Iraq and Syria after 2014, as well as other charges of international crimes. 

The current head of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIS (UNITAD) Christian Ritscher previously served as a German Federal Public Prosecutor and head of this War Crimes unit.