Forensic Experts Uncover Mass Graves of Yazidi Victims in Iraq

Forensic Experts Race Against Time in Iraq

The hours have been grueling, the temperatures sweltering, and the work painstaking for forensic experts diligently extracting human remains from a mass grave in northern Iraq. This site stands as a harrowing testament to one of the most blatant genocides of the 21st century — the systematic extermination of the Yazidi people by the Islamic State (ISIS).

Since 2014, ISIS has engaged in a relentless campaign that resulted in the murder, torture, and abduction of thousands of Yazidis. This campaign was marked by the horrifying imposition of sexual slavery and a deliberate attempt to eradicate the Yazidi community as a distinct ethnic and religious group.

Now, the Iraqi government has imposed a tight timeline on the international team of forensic experts tasked with excavating the mass grave located near Tal Afar, Iraq. They have been given less than two weeks to complete their investigation, which leaves many other mass graves unexplored. The United Nations has highlighted that these sites contain vital evidence that is crucial for building a legal case against those responsible for the atrocities committed by ISIS.

In a decisive move to turn the page on the traumatic era of ISIS’s dominance, Iraq is swiftly altering a decade-long policy framework. The government is making efforts to close the camps that currently house displaced Yazidis, execute those who perpetrated crimes for ISIS, and wind down the U.N.-organized operations aimed at excavating mass graves.

For the families of nearly 2,700 missing Yazidis, this abrupt shift in policy is nothing short of devastating. Each fragment of bone that is uncovered could potentially unravel the mystery surrounding the fate of their loved ones, who have been missing since the dark days of ISIS’s reign of terror.