Funeral for 32 Yezidis held in Shigur, Italy pushes for recognition of Yezidi Genocide

SHIGUR, Iraq — The remains of 32 Yezidi victims were recently returned to Shigur (Shengal / Sinjar) in northern Iraq after undergoing forensic examinations in Baghdede (Qaraqosh / Hamdaniyah). These victims, discovered in a mass grave in the village of Kocho, were brutally murdered by the Islamic State (ISIS) fighters ten years ago.

Mass Graves and Pursuit of Justice

Forensic investigations conducted in Baghdede confirmed the identities of the 32 victims, all of whom were Yezidis. These efforts form part of a broader initiative to uncover and document the thousands of Yezidis who were massacred or kidnapped during ISIS’s attack on the region in August 2014 — a tragedy now widely acknowledged as genocide.

Since 2019, Baghdede has received approximately 500 Yezidi remains from mass graves, but countless others remain unexamined. Yezidi leaders and survivors continue to demand justice and accountability, highlighting the dozens of mass graves in Shigur that remain untouched.

1/2
Yazda’s Executive Director, @natianavrouzov joined the Yazidi community at the solemn burial of 32 genocide victims in Kocho today.
Our teams were also present to provide mental health and urgent medical services to the families of the victims and show our deepest solidarity. pic.twitter.com/s57RghQe8l

— Yazda (@YazdaOrg) February 22, 2025

Solemn Farewell in Shigur

On Saturday, the remains of the 32 victims were laid to rest in an official funeral ceremony attended by hundreds of mourners. Speakers condemned the genocide and criticized the Iraqi government for failing to prioritize justice for the Yezidi community.

One survivor, addressing the gathering, expressed anger over the government’s inaction. “It is a disgrace that the government talks about amnesty while dozens of mass graves remain unopened in Sinjar,” she declared. “We must remain vigilant because the genocide is not over. There are at least 40 more mass graves waiting to be uncovered, containing our brothers and sisters.”

Call for Global Accountability

As efforts to determine the identities of bodies exhumed from mass graves slowly continue, international efforts to recognize the Yezidi Genocide continue.

Italian Member of Parliament Laura Boldrini (Partito Democratico, PD) introduced a resolution urging Italy to formally recognize the Yezidi Genocide. “Italy must join the nations that have acknowledged this atrocity,” Boldrini stated, emphasizing the importance of international solidarity in addressing the Yezidi tragedy.

As the Yezidi community continues its quest for justice and recognition, the return and burial of these 32 victims serve as both a painful reminder of the past and a renewed call to ensure that such crimes are never repeated.