01/19/2023

German Bundestag recognizes crimes of genocide

A good day for the Yazidi community

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) welcomes today’s decision of the German Bundestag to recognize the genocide crimes against the Yazidi people in Iraq. “With regard to coming to terms with the atrocities, it is an important step that the Bundestag has now recognized the genocide crimes,” stated Tabea Giesecke, STP expert on ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities, immediately after the vote. “The Yazidi community managed to bring about this step forward through tireless work. We will continue to support their struggle for justice.”

Now, it is important to take a close look at the details of the decision: “The fact that the genocide was recognized does not mean that there is nothing more to do. What is needed now are tangible measures to support the survivors and to punish those who are responsible,” Gisecke added. “The Yazidi community has to be directly involved in all decisions regarding their future and their settlement areas in the Sinjar region. Only then will it be possible to improve the situation of the survivors.”

The genocide against the Yazidi community in Iraq was committed by fighters of the so-called “Islamic State” in 2014, and it continues until today, as many Yazidi women are still missing of held in custody. Many Yazidi refugees are still living in refugee camps – without hope, since their houses were destroyed and because the region of Sinjar is still not safe. So far, it was hardly possible to start coming to terms with the collective and individual trauma.

Today’s motion was submitted by the SPD, the Green Party, the FDP, and the CDU/CSU. It is based on a petition by the Yazidi diaspora community. In February of last year, it had been discussed in the Petitions Committee – and then in the Human Rights Committee in June 2022. The necessary 50,000 signatures in favor of the petition had been collected by a large number of volunteers, many of them Yazidi youths. The Human Rights Council had recommended a recognition of the genocide crimes.