Latest news with #Yazidi
Shafaq News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
German court rejects Yazidi family's asylum appeal
Shafaq News – Berlin On Tuesday, a German administrative court in Potsdam rejected the asylum appeal of a Yazidi family recently deported to Iraq, despite the presence of four underage children among its members. The case stems from a 2023 lawsuit filed by the family after Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees denied their asylum application. The court adjusted the grounds for rejection from 'apparently unfounded' to simply 'unfounded,' without clarifying how this affected the family's legal position. The family had lived in the town of Lychen for several years before being deported last week, even after filing an emergency motion to stop the removal. Although a court later annulled the deportation order, the ruling was issued while the family was already aboard a flight to Baghdad, making intervention impossible. A court spokesperson explained that the rejection was based on the lack of an individual threat—such as direct persecution by ISIS or widespread violence against Yazidis—thus weakening the justification for international protection. A subsequent urgent motion to block the deportation was also denied, making the removal legally binding, according to DW. The family's lawyer now has 30 days to appeal the decision before the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin–Brandenburg. Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stübgen stated he would facilitate the family's return in coordination with the federal government if the court eventually rules in their favor.
Rudaw Net
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
‘Dangerous escalation': HRW condemns drone strikes on Kurdistan Region
Also in Kurdistan 24 Raparin migrants return to Kurdistan Region after month-long detention in Libya President Barzani urges Baghdad to facilitate Yazidi returns on genocide anniversary Suicide drone targets Erbil; no casualties Assyrian Christians trek to ancient church in Duhok A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The drone strikes on the Kurdistan Region's oil facilities are a 'dangerous escalation' that risks fueling disputes between Erbil and Baghdad, especially with shaky payments of the Kurdistan Region's public sector salaries, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday. The Kurdistan Region has come under nearly 20 rocket and drone attacks in recent weeks, including strikes on its oil fields. The Kurdish government has blamed Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) for the attacks - charges strongly denied as 'unacceptable' by Baghdad. 'The drone strikes mark a dangerous escalation in a long-running dispute between Baghdad and Erbil over the control and distribution of oil revenues. As part of this dispute, Baghdad has been withholding funds for the regional government's public sector salaries since May,' HRW said in a report, urging both governments to investigate and prevent further attacks. The strikes have badly damaged the Kurdistan Region's oil infrastructure, halting production in some fields entirely and cutting total output by about 70 percent. No group has claimed responsibility, and there have been no new attacks since a new agreement was reached between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) earlier this month. 'Ultimately, it is the civilians in Kurdistan who are paying the heaviest price,' Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher at HRW, told Rudaw on Tuesday. 'Damage to Kurdistan's oil facilities has taken around 70 percent of production offline, which not only impacts the government's ability to fund itself through oil revenues, but also puts the right to electricity at risk, meaning less fuel for the people.' Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said earlier this month that the region has lost nearly 200,000 barrels of oil production due to what he described as 'a spate of drone attacks by criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll.' The drone strikes also threaten the region's broader energy infrastructure and residents' access to electricity. The Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province, which supplies most of the Kurdistan Region's power generation, has been hit by drones at least nine times since 2023, including an attack in February 2025. A strike in April 2024 killed four workers and halted production for nearly a week. Despite pledges by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to investigate, authorities have yet to publish findings or hold anyone accountable, HRW said. The international community has largely condemned the attacks. The rights organization also condemned Baghdad's repeated suspension of public sector salaries in the Kurdistan Region, 'using payments as leverage to force concessions in negotiations over oil revenues.' For more than a decade, the federal government has at times withheld salaries from Kurdistan Region's public workers, while federal employees elsewhere in Iraq have continued to receive theirs. Kurdish officials accuse Baghdad of politicizing the issue; Iraqi authorities say the KRG has failed to meet financial obligations under the constitution. Baghdad's freeze on salaries has hurt the quality and delivery of essential services like healthcare and education, Sanbar said. 'We've seen an increase in what's known as dual practice,' she explained. 'Doctors spend only a few hours in public hospitals and then move to private clinics for the rest of the day.' As a result, only those who can afford private care receive adequate healthcare - undermining a constitutional guarantee, she added. Sanbar noted a similar pattern in education. 'Teachers have increasingly gone on strike because their salaries haven't been paid. And when teachers go on strike, it's children who are left out of school.' 'Ultimately, doctors and teachers aren't the ones responsible for this problem,' she stressed. The salary crisis has also hit local businesses, with 40 to 60 percent of the workforce employed in the public sector, meaning many families have cut spending. 'This leads to desperation, rising poverty, and growing anger toward Baghdad, which most Kurdish people see as responsible for their suffering,' Sanbar said. Earlier this month, the KRG and Baghdad finalized a deal aimed at resolving disputes over oil exports and financial transfers, though officials on both sides continue to blame each other for delays in implementing it. Baghdad has sent funds to cover May salaries, but payments for June and July remain pending. Shahyan Tahseen contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
24 Raparin migrants returned to Kurdistan Region after one month detention in Libya
Also in Kurdistan President Barzani urges Baghdad to facilitate Yazidi returns on genocide anniversary Suicide drone targets Erbil; no casualties Assyrian Christians trek to ancient church in Duhok Erbil university offers scholarship for international students A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - In the spring of their lives, 24 individuals from the Raparin administration who had set out on the path of migration with dreams of a better future were returned to the Kurdistan Region after being detained for a month in Libya. "We were 24 Kurdish people. We were held in four very small cells; each room was two meters long and one meter wide, and they had put four people in each cell,' Bahroz Ali told Rudaw on Tuesday about the poor treatment and conditions of the prisons in Libya. 'We still don't know what charges we were arrested on," Ali said. A Europe-based migrant rights activist, Ranj Pishdari, told Rudaw that more than 300 young people from Pishdar district and surrounding areas in eastern Raparin are leaving each week. The Libya-Italy route has become the preferred path over the more traditional Turkey-Greece corridor due to increased border restrictions and longer crossing times. "The smuggler deceived us. After we were arrested [in Libya], he never came back to us, while we had paid him three thousand dollars to reach Libya," Daniyar Ali told Rudaw, denying the claims of the smuggler for attempts to follow up on their condition,' he never reached out to follow up on our condition.' According to information obtained by Rudaw, one of the most influential smugglers currently operating in Libya is a Kurd originally from Raparin, identified by the initials H.K. Though based in Europe, he has temporarily relocated to Libya to oversee smuggling operations and organize sea crossings for Kurdish migrants. Another surviving migrant highlighted the poor conditions and mistreatment in Libyan prisons, describing them as another bitter chapter in the story of these migrants. 'We were in really bad conditions. We were tortured and mentally abused. They were really bad with us.' Abdullah Idris, another migrant, said. The wave of youth migration through Libya has made the work of the Iraqi embassy in that country more difficult. Musanna Amin, a member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives who played a key role in the release of these migrants, gives a warning regarding the issue. "In Libya, most areas are under the control of armed groups. The route that young people migrate through is a very dangerous route, and annually, several migrants become victims in that country and lose their lives." Muthanna Ali, a member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives who played a key role in the release of these migrants, said. 'We have received many dead bodies from Libya to the Kurdistan Region,' he stressed. Libya remains a major transit country for migrants due to its strategic location and proximity to Italy. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that around 719,000 migrants were registered in Libya in 2024. Crossing the Mediterranean is one of the deadliest migrant routes. According to the IOM, more than 31,700 people have died or gone missing at sea since 2014. Thousands of Kurds attempt the perilous journey to Europe each year, with many passing through Libya. The migration wave from Qaladze - the administrative center and capital of Pishdar - and other areas in the district is largely fueled by high unemployment and limited economic opportunities, despite the region's agricultural potential. The Kurdistan Region has witnessed repeated waves of youth migration over the past decade, largely driven by economic hardship and the search for better opportunities abroad. Abubakr Ismael contributed to this article.
Rudaw Net
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Most abducted Yazidis held in Syria amid Damascus inaction: Rescue office
Also in Syria Bedouin families forced to leave Suwayda despite years of peaceful coexistence Syria agrees to further talks with Israel, state media reports US citizen recounts 'terrorizing' days in Suwayda during clashes ISIS carries out three attacks on SDF in Deir ez-Zor A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The majority of Yazidis kidnapped by the Islamic State (ISIS) during its 2014 offensive in Iraq are currently being held in Syria, a senior official from the Office for Rescuing Abducted Yazidis - operating under the Kurdistan Region Presidency - told Rudaw, adding that 'no assistance' has provided by the new leadership in Damascus to facilitate the rescue of victims. Speaking to Rudaw during a program aired on Monday, Hussein Qaidi, head of the Office, said, 'We do not wish to disclose the names of all the countries where we have information about the presence of the kidnapped' Yazidis, but 'Syria - specifically northeastern Syria [Rojava] - is at the top of the list.' In June 2014, ISIS seized vast swaths of northern and western Iraq. Two months later, it launched a brutal assault on the Yazidis' ancestral homeland of Shingal (Sinjar), killing between 5,000 and 10,000 Yazidi men and elderly women. The group also abducted approximately 6,000 to 7,000 women and girls, subjecting them to sexual slavery and human trafficking. Around 400,000 Yazidis were displaced, most of whom sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region. Qaidi stated that many of the abductees are believed to be held in the notorious al-Hol camp in Rojava's Hasaka province. As of April, the notorious camp housed 34,927 people, many of whom have suspected ISIS affiliations, according to data obtained by Rudaw English. The camp is administered by the Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), with security provided by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Rojava's de facto army. However, Qaidi highlighted the limited coordination between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the SDF regarding rescue operations. He also criticized the new leadership in Damascus, noting that it provides 'no assistance in identifying the whereabouts of abducted Yazidis' or in 'rescuing and returning' them. Since its establishment, the Office for Rescuing Abducted Yazidis - affiliated with the office of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani - has 'succeeded in rescuing 3,590 Yazidis' from ISIS captivity, Qaidi said. However, he stressed that the crisis is far from over. He recalled the harrowing case of one young Yazidi survivor who had been sold and enslaved by more than ten men, some two to seven times her age. 'She faced sexual assault at such a young age that she didn't even understand what was being done to her or what sexual assault meant,' he said. 'This particular case still haunts me.' On Monday, marking the 11th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, President Barzani asserted the Kurdistan Region's continued commitment to the cause of the Yazidi people, pledging that the Office will persist in its mission 'as long as there remains even one Yazidi abductee still in captivity.' Rebwar Ali contributed to this article.
Rudaw Net
a day ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
President Barzani urges Baghdad to to facilitate Yazidi returns on genocide anniversary
Also in Kurdistan Suicide drone targets Erbil; no casualties Assyrian Christians trek to ancient church in Duhok Erbil university offers scholarship for international students Dutch photojournalist recording Kurdish history re-visits Kurdistan A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - On the 11th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide by the Islamic State (ISIS), Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani reaffirmed commitment to Yazidi rights and well-being, urging Baghdad to implement a key 2020 agreement with Erbil aimed at 'restoring normalcy' in the Yazidis' ancestral homeland Shingal (Sinjar) and facilitate the return of displaced Yazidis. Speaking at a commemoration event in Erbil, the Kurdistan Region Presidency spokesperson Dilshad Shahab quoted President Barzani as emphasizing that 'it is fundamentally the responsibility of the Iraqi government to ensure that [Shingal] Sinjar and the Yazidi regions do not become battlegrounds for armed factions and militias.' The ongoing instability in Shingal is 'a significant injustice' to the Yazidis who 'deserve support to heal and rebuild their lives,' he added. President Barzani further urged Baghdad 'to reestablish peace, security, and essential services' in Shingal and its surroundings to reassure the Yazidis 'that they can safely return and rebuild their communities.' He also reiterated the need to implement the October 2020 Shingal Agreement between Baghdad and Erbil. The deal brokered with the support of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) aims to eliminate non-state armed groups from Shingal and normalize the administrative and security situation in Shingal. In June 2014, ISIS seized large parts of northern and western Iraq. By August, the group launched a brutal assault on the Yazidi community in Shingal, killing an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Yazidi men and older women, and abducting 6,000 to 7,000 women and girls for sexual slavery and human trafficking. Around 400,000 Yazidis were forced to flee, with most seeking refuge in the Kurdistan Region. Although Iraq declared the full liberation of its territory from ISIS in 2017, around 21,000 Yazidi families remain displaced, primarily in camps in Kurdistan Region's Duhok province. Their return is hindered by ongoing security concerns and the continued presence of various armed groups in Shingal. President Barzani on Monday decried that 'almost half' of Shingal's Yazidi residents 'continue to live in displacement and camps,' calling it unjust that "a Yazidi child born in the camps, is now 11 years old.' He further vowed that the Office of Rescuing Abducted Yazidis, affiliated with the Kurdistan Region Presidency, will continue its operations "as long as there remains even one Yazidi abductee' still in captivity. As of May the Office reported that 2,590 Yazidis remain missing. UN and international takes Monday's commemoration event in Erbil was organized by the Yazidi Yazda non-profit in partnership with the German Cooperation Organization (GIZ), both of which support survivors of the Yazidi genocide. Speaking at the ceremony, Claudio Cordone, Deputy Special Representative for UNAMI, highlighted the Yazidi community's ongoing struggle 11 years after the ISIS genocide. He expressed the UN's 'full solidarity with all the victims of [ISIS] Daesh, one of the most brutal, ignorant, and perverse ideologies in modern history,' and condemned the 'unspeakable atrocities' committed against the Yazidis. Cordone urged both Baghdad and Erbil to intensify and accelerate efforts to restore the rights of the Yazidis, stating that their recovery would represent 'the ultimate defeat of Daesh.' He also outlined three key priorities: reparations, greater support for women forced to marry ISIS members and children born of rape, and enabling 'voluntary, safe, and dignified' returns. The deputy special representative for UNAMI also stressed the need to implement the stalled 2020 [Shingal] Sinjar Agreement, noting that 'without stability and security, people cannot be expected to return.' For his part, the United States Consul General to Erbil Steven Bitner reaffirmed Washington's 'solidarity with Yazidi families and survivors' and recognizes 'their unimaginable loss and unwavering resilience." He emphasized the US's commitment to helping communities recover and to preventing the resurgence of ISIS, pledging to 'do everything possible to make sure that Daesh cannot return and revisit its horrors upon the world.' Bitner further reiterated Washington's efforts in "delivering accountability to those responsible' for the Yazidi genocide and 'ensuring this can never happen again.' Recognizing Iraq's efforts toward peace and stability - with Yazidis playing a vital role in rebuilding - Bitner noted that challenges remain, including the internal displacement of 'over one million Iraqis…including about 300,000 Yazidis, and of course the [cases of the] 2,558 Yazidis who remain missing and unaccounted for." The US consul general called on the Iraqi government to support the safe return of Yazidi survivors by reaching consensus on appointing a mayor in Shingal, recruiting local police, and increasing reconstruction funding. Critically, Bitner warned that 'militias beholden to Iran must leave areas liberated from Daesh, such as [Shingal] Sinjar,' stating their continued presence "prevents the return of the internally displaced population and hinders economic development." Counselor for Economic Cooperation and Development at the German Consulate, Kerstin Spriestersbach, praised the "exceptional" courage of Yazidi survivors who "consciously chose to share their stories to make the voices of the forgotten heard." She acknowledged the ongoing pain of the Yazidi community, noting that 'to this day, many wounds have not healed' as 'the fate of more than 2,600 women and children remains uncertain.' Spriestersbach highlighted concrete steps by Germany, including the unanimous recognition of the Yazidi genocide by the German parliament in January 2023 - a move she called a 'milestone in the global fight against impunity' that shifts the focus 'from the perpetrators to justice for the victims.' She reaffirmed Germany's 'unwavering commitment to justice,' recognizing that survivors still face marginalization, trauma, and threats to their security and dignity. Germany, a long-time provider of humanitarian aid, now prioritizes "long-term work for Yazidi families,' focusing on "education and employment" and supporting "those who want to return to Sinjar," Spriestersbach said, commending survivor-led initiatives, including those led by Yezidi Yazda and GIZ.
