From genocide to justice: Iraq's reparations for Yazidi survivors

A practical agenda for iraq and its partners

1. Remove unnecessary barriers. End the extra-legal requirement to file a criminal complaint as a condition of reparation; accept reliable evidence already collected; expand mobile, remote and consular application options; provide free legal help; and issue reasoned, dated decisions with a clear appeal route.

2. Deliver the whole law. Maintain timely monthly support while adequately funding trauma-informed healthcare, psychosocial rehabilitation, education, land and housing, livelihoods, missing-person searches, mass-grave work, and memorialization.

3. Close gaps in coverage and legal identity. Amend the framework through consultation with survivors so that comparable harms receive comparable remedies, including those experienced by children from other affected communities, male survivors of sexual violence, and children born of rape. Ensure every child can obtain civil documentation without discrimination.

4. Support durable solutions to displacement. Invest in Sinjar's homes, services, schools, healthcare, infrastructure, demining, and local economy; pursue inclusive agreements on administration and security; and protect each family's right to choose between safe return, local integration, and relocation.

5. Make accountability real in Iraq. Incorporate genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes into domestic law; preserve and use UNITAD evidence; protect victims and witnesses; prosecute conduct rather than membership alone; and continue the search for missing people and identification of remains.

6. Empower survivors. Publish regular, disaggregated data on applications, approvals, rejections, appeals, and each form of benefit; establish independent monitoring; and give survivor representatives a meaningful role in program design, evaluation, and peacebuilding.

Conclusion: from recognition to restoration

The genocide against the Yazidi community represents one of the gravest crimes of the twenty-first century, marked by systematic violence, mass killings, sexual enslavement, and the deliberate destruction of an ancient religious community. Iraq has taken an important step by adopting the Yazidi Survivors Law, but a significant gap remains between legal commitments and survivors' lived experiences.

To fulfill its obligations under international human rights law, Iraq must simplify access to reparations, remove unnecessary administrative barriers, expand eligibility, increase funding, and integrate reparations into a broader framework of transitional justice. Equal priority should be given to rebuilding Sinjar, supporting the voluntary and safe return of displaced families, identifying missing persons, prosecuting those responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity, and ensuring that survivors have meaningful access to justice.

The international community also has an important role to play. Continued political, financial, and technical support is essential to strengthen Iraq's reparations program, support reconstruction, and ensure that accountability for ISIS atrocities remains an international priority rather than a forgotten chapter of history.

Ultimately, the experience of the Yazidis demonstrates that justice cannot be measured solely by legal recognition or financial compensation. Genuine reparations restore dignity, rebuild communities, and enable survivors to reclaim their lives with security and hope. Fully implementing the Yazidi Survivors Law is therefore more than a legal obligation-it is an opportunity to strengthen the rule of law, promote reconciliation, and help prevent future atrocities. Transforming recognition into restoration is not only a matter of justice for the Yazidis; it is an investment in humanity and lasting peace.