Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed a message to Armenia’s Yezidi community on the sixth anniversary of the Sinjar Genocide. The Premier’s message reads, in part:
“Dear Yezidi sisters and brothers,
Today, we are commemorating the anniversary of the genocide committed by terrorist groups against the Yezidi people in Sinjar six years ago.
In fact, the tragedy that befell the Yezidi people is an appalling crime against mankind and the civilized world. We share in your grief and express our sincere sympathy to you.
I wish fortitude and courage to the Yezidi community of Armenia and all Yezidi families. As a consolation, please rest assured that in the homeland – in the Republic of Armenia – you will always be blessed with a safe and protected future and wide opportunities for progress.”
Thousands of Yezidis were seized and killed by the Islamic State group in he Sinjar province of northern Iraq in 2014, while about 50,000 Yezidis were forced to leave their homes.
In January 2018, the Armenian Parliament unanimously passed a resolution recognizing the Yezidi Genocide.
The National Assembly also called on the international community to track down and prosecute those directly responsible for the killings and “take measures to ensure the security of the Yezidi population.”
