Nadia’s Initiative Statement on Long-Awaited Exhumation of Mass Graves in Sinjar

Today, a team from the Iraqi Directorate of Mass Graves Affairs began the critical work of exhuming mass graves of Yazidi genocide victims in Sinjar City. This essential step is critical to uncovering the fate of innocent individuals who suffered and died as a result of some of the most heinous crimes against humanity in recent memory.

Over the next 20 days, the team will continue their excavation efforts in Sinjar, starting with the mass grave in the Azadi neighborhood. Their mission is to identify the victims and ensure they receive a dignified burial, honoring their lives and sacrifices.

Revealing the fate of these victims is a crucial part of the healing process for families who lost their loved ones amidst profound pain and suffering—simply because of their Yazidi identity. Many families remain in a state of perpetual uncertainty, plagued by unanswered questions about the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones. Providing these victims with a proper burial is a meaningful tribute to their memory, offering families long-awaited solace and closure after years of anguish.

Nadia’s Initiative is working in close coordination with the Directorate and the field team to support the exhumation process.

We stand in solidarity with the families who are desperately seeking answers–answers that will bring them peace of mind and restore the dignity of their loved ones. The right to know the fate of the victims and to honor them with a proper burial is a fundamental human right that must never be denied. We remain committed to supporting these families in their pursuit of justice, comfort, and peace as they seek the long-awaited truth that will finally bring them some measure of closure.