Islamic State: Yazidis

(asked on 3rd November 2015) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether attacks by ISIL against Iraqi Yazidis constitute to genocide.


Answered by
Tobias Ellwood Portrait
Tobias Ellwood
This question was answered on 6th November 2015

The Government believes that recognition of genocides should be a matter for international courts. It should be a legal, rather than political determination, decided by international judges after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible international judicial process. I deplore the targeting and persecution of Yezidis and other minorities by the so called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. We continue to urge the Government of Iraq to do all it can to ensure the security and rights of all minority communities in Iraq, including the Yezidi. We are working in Iraq to build consensus around the importance of freedom of religion or belief; and supporting practical projects on community dialogue with civil society and faith groups. The UK is supporting the international humanitarian relief effort in Iraq by providing £79.5m to help the 3.2 million internally displaced Iraqis, including many who have fled their homes on account of ISIL’s persecution on the grounds of religion. The money is providing clean water, sanitation, essential medicines, and funding for NGOs and charities, some of which is specifically designed to protect women and children.

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