Yezidis protest Iraqi General Amnesty Law, call for justice for terror victims

SHIGUR, Iraq — Yezidis from Shigur (Şengal/Sinjar) held a protest to voice their rejection of the Iraqi parliament’s recently approved General Amnesty Law and to express solidarity with the Federal Supreme Court’s decision to suspend its implementation.

Protesters condemned any legislation that might enable terrorists to evade justice. They urged the court to ensure that its final ruling upholds justice and victims’ rights, emphasizing that the blood of innocent people should not be erased by political decisions.

الايزيديون عبر وقفة وبيان.. “من روج او انضم او ساند او مول ١لارهاب فهو ١رهابي”#ايزيدي٢٤_Ezidi24 #ئێزیدی۲٤ pic.twitter.com/nlGnN7BSzd

— ايزيدي 24 :: Ezidi 24 (@Ezidi24) February 5, 2025

In a statement, the protesters declared their opposition to the current version of the law, arguing that it contains provisions that could allow terrorists to escape punishment. They criticized the legislation as lacking patriotism and moral responsibility toward Iraq’s martyrs, accusing it of serving the interests of those who have caused widespread destruction in the country.

The Beth Nahrain Patriotic Union (Huyodo Bethnahrin Athroyo, HBA) expressed its solidarity with the Yezidi community. The HBA condemned the atrocities committed by the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists against Yezidis and Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian communities, including killings, displacement, and the captivity of women. The group firmly opposed the release of such criminals from Iraqi prisons under the General Amnesty Law, calling for accountability for their crimes.