Dutch police searching for evidence of Dutch nationals involved in Yezidi genocide
The Dutch police said it “investigates whether and how Dutch nationals were involved in the very serious crimes committed against the Yazidi community in Syria and Iraq.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Netherlands Police’s International Crimes Team (TIM) on Wednesday said they are looking for information for Dutch ISIS fighters or wives involved in war crimes against Yezidi’s.
“In recent years, the team investigated war crimes and other international crimes in Rwanda, Afghanistan, Syria, Liberia and Iraq,” the TIM said in a press release.
“As a result of these investigations, perpetrators of war crimes, genocide and torture were convicted by the Dutch court and received prison sentences.”
The TIM said it “investigates whether and how Dutch nationals were involved in the very serious crimes committed against the Yazidi community in Syria and Iraq.”
The Dutch International Crimes Team said it would like to get into contact with “Yezidi people or others who can provide information on the involvement of Dutch nationals in these crimes.”
The press release was published on Wednesday, on the 8th anniversary of the ISIS genocide against Yezidi’s.
A number of Dutch nationals have been repatriated from Syria to the Netherlands in the recent years.
Some of them are suspected by the Dutch police and the Yezidi community to have been involved in crimes against Yezidi's.
Read More: Dutch government confirms repatriation of 5 suspected ISIS women from Syria
Today, Yezidis commemorate the atrocities committed by ISIS against the Yezidi community. The Netherlands supports Yezidis in processing the past and facilitating returns. Mental health and psychosocial support, economic reintegration and accountability are crucial to this.
— Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇳🇱 (@DutchMFA) August 3, 2022
"The Netherlands supports Yezidis in processing the past and facilitating returns," the Dutch Foreign Ministry said in a tweet on 8th anniversary of the Yezidi genocide.
"Mental health and psychosocial support, economic reintegration and accountability are crucial to this."
Moreover, 2nd Secretary at the Dutch Consulate, Jelle-Jochem Duits, in a tweet on Wednesday underlined that "the Netherlands support the Yezidi survivors and works towards holding those responsible accountable"
“We are very happy with these steps of the Dutch police to investigate the perpetrators of war crimes against Yezidi’s,” Chiya Sharif, a lawmaker in the Kurdistan Region Parliament for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), told Kurdistan 24.
“This is a very good step for the recognition of the Yezidi genocide and to punish the ISIS-affiliated perpetrators. We hope other countries in the European Union will also take the same steps to investigate these crimes.”
“The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is also ready to provide support and evidence from Yezidi witnesses in the camps. There is a possibility that these Yezidi survivors have more evidence against the perpetrators of this crime."
"This is one step towards justice and will also be a lesson for other extremists that such war crimes will not go unpunished," he concluded.
Almost 3,000 Yezidis remain missing eight years after ISIS launched its brutal genocide.
Moreover, thousands of Yezidis still live in displaced person camps in the Kurdistan Region, which has been hosting them since 2014.
“Until now 2,717 Yezidis are still missing, 325 thousand are in camps. 100 thousand Yezidis are scattered around the world as refugees,” Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said during an event on Wednesday.
So far, the Kidnapped Yazidi Rescue Office, established by President Nechirvan Barzani rescued 3554 Yezidi’s.
“The Yezidis are victims of an organization which is the enemy of all humanity. The Yezidis should not be forgotten by the world in this dire situation. All should be done to support them,” he concluded.
