Yezidi activist assassinated in Sinjar 

"We are deeply concerned about these ongoing crimes whether they are politically motivated or not," Ismail told Kurdistan 24. 
Jamil Sulaiman, a Yezidi activist, was assassinated near Dohala in northern Sinjar on Thursday, June 30, 2022 (Photo: Voice of Yazidis/Twitter)
Jamil Sulaiman, a Yezidi activist, was assassinated near Dohala in northern Sinjar on Thursday, June 30, 2022 (Photo: Voice of Yazidis/Twitter)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Yezidi activist Jamil Sulaiman was assassinated near Dohala in northern Sinjar on Thursday under unclear circumstances.

"No group claimed responsibility for the killing. He was a member of the Yazidi house, and Independent Youth Group," the Voice of Yazidis tweeted.

According to Murad Ismael, the President and co-founder of the Sinjar Academy, Sulaiman was one of the leading organizers of recent protests in Sinjar. Those protests called for the demilitarization of Sinjar after clashes between the Iraqi Army and the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) displaced hundreds of Yezidis in May.

Read More: 1,700 families displaced by recent Sinjar fighting: DMCR

The protests called for removing all armed units from residential areas, except for local internal security forces, and an end to armed clashes in civilian areas.

"We are deeply concerned about these ongoing crimes whether they are politically motivated or not," Ismail told Kurdistan 24. "Jamil was an activist and played a key role in organizing the latest demonstrations in Sinjar."

"We are still waiting for details of this murder and call on authorities to investigate and disclose details to the public."

In October 2020, the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) signed the UN-backed Sinjar Agreement with the support of the United Nations to "restore and normalize" the situation in Sinjar and remove armed groups. 

But so far, the agreement has not been implemented on the ground.

Turkey has continued drone strikes against the YBS, which it sees as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Read More: Civilian succumbs to injuries from recent drone attack on Sinjar

On June 15, a Turkish drone strike on Sinjar's Snuny subdistrict killed one man and one child.