UN team to exhume the first mass grave of Yezidis near Sinjar
A special investigative team of the United Nations will begin its task to exhume the first mass grave of Kurdish Yezidi victims of Islamic State (IS) genocide in Sinjar region on Friday.
United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) confirmed that it will exhume the first mass grave on 15 March in Kocho village near Sinjar in an attempt to bring those responsible for the massacre of Yezidis to justice.
“Friday 15 March 2019 constitutes an important moment: The first of many grave sites in Sinjar which contain the remains of Da’esh/ISIL victims will be exhumed. UNITAD recognises the patience and resilience of the survivors and their families, who have waited so long for this process to begin,” said Special Adviser and Head of the Investigative Team Karim A. A. Khan.
“The road towards accountability is a long one, and many challenges lay ahead. Notwithstanding this, the spirit of cooperation between the survivor community and the Government of Iraq is to be applauded. UNITAD’s priority throughout this process will be the collection of evidence in a manner that meets international standards with full regard to the rights and interests of survivors and the families of victims,” Khan added.
UNITAD said in a statement that evidence suggests that hundreds of villagers from Kojo – men, adolescent boys, and women perceived to be past the child-bearing age – were murdered by the Islamic State fighters in August 2014, while more than 700 women and children were abducted. Women and girls over the age of 9 are understood to have been forced into sexual slavery, where they suffered a wide range of violations; boys over the age of 7 are said to have been forcibly recruited and made to fight as part of Islamic State.
“This process will be conducted with the guidance and support of UNITAD. Those exhumed and any other evidence recovered will be removed from the site for forensic analysis. This effort constitutes part of the investigation of Da’esh/ISIL crimes in order to identify those most responsible. It will also serve the very important function of identifying the victims so that their remains can be returned to their families for burial in accordance with their wishes, and with full respect for their religious or cultural practices.”
The exhumation will commence with a memorial ceremony led by Yezidi religious leaders, followed by speeches from senior government figures and representatives of the Yezidi community.
Source: Basnews
