British government recognizes 2014 ISIS genocide against Yazidi people
Aug. 1 (UPI) -- The British Government on Tuesday officially acknowledged the Yazidi Genocide, which was carried out by ISIS in 2014.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that the decision was made after the German Federal Court of Justice found a former ISIS fighter guilty of acts of genocide, noting that Britain prefers to have genocide designations made by "competent courts" rather than governments or non-judicial bodies.
"Today we have made the historic acknowledgment that acts of genocide were committed against the Yazidi people. This determination only strengthens our commitment to ensuring that they receive the compensation owed to them and are able to access meaningful justice," said British Minister of State for the Middle East Tariq Mahmood Ahmad.
Following the decision, Britain recognized the acts of genocide against the Yazidi people along with the Holocaust and other acts of genocide in Rwanda, Srebrenica and Cambodia.
In 2016, a U.N. panel found that ISIS had committed acts of genocide against the Yazidi people in Syria including brutal abuses of men, women and children that amounted to crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Britain made the announcement ahead of upcoming events marking nine years since the genocide and vowed to "continue to play a leading role in eradicating ISIS" including by "Rebuilding communities affected by its terrorism and leading global efforts against its poisonous propaganda."
"The Yazidi population suffered immensely at the hands of Daesh nine years ago and the repercussions are still felt to this day," Ahamad said, using an alternate name for ISIS. "Justice and accountability are key for those whose lives have been devastated."
