Title: JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE ATROCITIES OF DAESH - PROGRESS MADE
Place of publication: UK
Publisher: International Bar Association
Release date: 2023

In 2013/14, Daesh (also known as Islamic State, ISIS, ISIL), a non-state actor and terror organisation, unleashed a genocidal campaign against the Yazidis and other religious minorities in Iraq and also in Syria. On 3 August 2014, Daesh attacked the Yazidis in Sinjar, and so began some of the most egregious atrocities against the community, as seen in recent years. They brought about this genocide by way of murder, enslavement, deportation and forcible transfer of populations, imprisonment, torture, abduction of women and children, exploitation, abuse, rape, sexual violence, and forced marriage, among others. These atrocities have been widely reported on by the United Nations and other actors. To this day, over 2,700 women and children are still missing, after they were abducted by Daesh in 2014. If alive, it is considered that they continue to be enslaved and subjected to a litany of abuses. Following the attack on Sinjar, Daesh also attacked many villages in Ninevah Plains and forced over 120,000 Christians to flee to Kurdistan.

Daesh specifically targeted religious minorities such as Yazidis, Christians, Shabak communities and others for destruction in an attempt to annihilate religious pluralism, and with an intent to destroy their distinct ethno-religious identities. Daesh specifically targeted religious minority women and girls, subjected them to abductions, forcible conversions, forcible marriage, rape and sexual violence, reproductive violence and much more.

Some steps have been taken to address the atrocities by Daesh. However, these efforts have often been fragmented and inadequate to leave victims and survivors with a feeling of justice. In 2024, the world will mark the 10th anniversary of the Daesh atrocities, and specifically, of the genocidal atrocities and crimes against humanity against the Yazidis, Christians and other religious or belief minorities. The time leading to the occasion of the 10th anniversary in August 2024 should be used to revive the efforts to address the horrific atrocities perpetrated by Daesh, and secure deliverable commitments from States and the international community.

This report focuses on steps taken in recent years to ensure justice and accountability, the gaps among them, and steps that need to be taken to strengthen the legal system in Iraq. The report aims to provide practical recommendations for States on what can and should be done to assist in the pursuit of justice and accountability for the Daesh atrocities.[1]