General Amnesty Law Excludes Perpetrators of Yazidi Kidnapping and Enslavement

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The head of the National Centre for International Judicial Cooperationmeets General Director of the

The head of the National Centre for International Judicial Cooperation, Ali Hussein Jaffat, confirmed on Wednesday that the General Amnesty Law does not cover those responsible for the crimes of kidnapping and enslaving Yazidis and other communities.

According to a statement from the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Ali Hussein Jaffat held a meeting with Sarab Elias Barakat, the General Director of the General Directorate of Survivors' Affairs at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, at the National Centre for International Judicial Cooperation.

During the meeting, Jaffat clarified that those who committed crimes of kidnapping and enslaving Yazidis are excluded from the General Amnesty Law No. (27) of 2016, including its most recent amendment approved by the Iraqi Parliament on 21 January 2025. He further pointed out that Article (9/First) of the Yazidi Survivors Law No. (8) of 2021 clearly states that "the perpetrators of the crime of kidnapping and enslaving Yazidis are not included in any general or special amnesty."

Sarab Elias Barakat, for her part, expressed her gratitude for the support and cooperation in overcoming the challenges of documenting the horrific crimes committed against Yazidi women. She also noted that in a follow-up meeting with several civil society organisations focused on supporting Yazidis and other communities, the issue of survivors who endured captivity and rape by ISIS terrorist groups in 2014 was discussed. 

The meeting also focused on archiving evidence by the National Centre in line with international standards, as well as documenting testimonies.



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