Mahma Khalil: Majority of Kidnapped Yazidis Are in Syria

ARK News.. A Kurdish member of the Iraqi Parliament has revealed that the majority of kidnapped Yazidis are in Syria, particularly in camps in the country's north.

Iraqi MP Mahma Khalil, himself a Yazidi, stated: "Most of the kidnapped Yazidis are in Syria. We have requested the Iraqi authorities, including the National Security Advisor, the Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Prime Minister, to establish a program for their return and to verify their presence in Al-Hol camp and other camps in northern Syria."

Khalil further explained that "ISIS militants have changed the names of the kidnapped Yazidis and stripped them of their language. However, according to available information, the majority of them remain in Al-Hol camp, other camps in northern Syria, and even in Turkey."

He emphasized that "under the Iraqi Constitution and the law, the government is obligated to pursue the fate of kidnapped and disappeared citizens worldwide, especially those who have suffered oppression and injustice at the hands of ISIS."

Khalil called on the new Syrian government to "prove its commitment to human rights and minority rights by taking concrete action against abduction, rather than mere rhetoric, and by working to rescue these kidnapped individuals."

He also highlighted the role of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), noting that "the KRG has played a significant role through the program launched by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to track down kidnapped Yazidis. Through this initiative, approximately 2,900 Yazidis have been rescued, though many remain missing."

According to the latest statistics from the KRG, the Coordinator for International Advocacy, Dindar Zibari, stated in December 2024 that nearly 3,600 Yazidi captives have been freed since the beginning of the rescue operations.

In a statement, Zibari confirmed that the KRG has continued its efforts to rescue kidnapped Yazidis, with 3,579 individuals freed so far out of a total of 6,417 abductees.

Furthermore, the KRG has decided to distribute financial aid to more than 3,500 Yazidis who escaped from ISIS captivity, affirming that the process remains ongoing, according to Zebari.

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