The demand for the establishment of an international court to account for the crimes committed by the Islamic State against the Yazidi community was voiced in various events held in many cities of Switzerland- Activists also asked for the official recognition of the autonomous administration in Shengal.

The Swiss Kurdish Women's Union (YJK-S) the Swiss cities of Lucerne, Aarau, Basel, Zurich, Geneva and Lausanne commemorated the victims of the genocide carried out by the Islamic State against the Yazidi people on 3 August 2014.

LUCERNE

Lucerne Arin Mirkan Women's Council and TekoJIN organized a theatrical performance to mark the 9th anniversary of the 74th Yazidi genocide against the Yazidi.

After a minute's silence for all Kurdistan and Yazidi martyrs, Luzern CDK Co-chair Nurşen Demir said: “Today is a black day for us. A cruelty that we cannot express with words was perpetrated on the people of Shengal. On 3 August 2014, with the decision of the Turkish state and the betrayal of the Kurds, ISIS mercenaries persecuted thousands of innocent women and young children in Shengal. The persecution of them was terrible. Neither food nor drink was given. Even listening to the stories of those who survived is an act of courage. Women were sold in Arab markets." 

AARAU

Rojbin Women's Council organized a press statement in the city of Aarau to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the Shengal genocide carried out by ISIS on 3 August 2014.

The event, which started with a minute's silence, continued with a women's theater play about the removal of the black veils imposed on women by ISIS and freedom gained by women. After the play, the women flew balloons with their wishes for Shengal written.

Rojbin Women's Council activist Şevin Batu summarized what has happened since the beginning of the Shengal Genocide and called on international institutions, organizations and states to confront the genocide and put those responsible to trial.

Idris Uzkaş, Co-chair of the Aarau Democratic Kurdish Community Center, pointed out that the Shengal genocide was the first step of a genocide meant for the whole of Kurdistan and emphasized that the resistance prevented the policy of genocide.

Dilan Çetinkaya, a member of the Rojbin Women's Council, stated that the struggle should be enlarged to punish the perpetrators of the Shengal genocide.

Finally, CDKS Council member Emrullah Bingül underlined that the ISIS attack should be considered as genocide, since it aimed to destroy a society not only physically but in all its aspects.

LAUSANNE

On the occasion of the anniversary of the genocide against the Yazidi people on 3 August2014, the Yazidi genocide was protested in the city of Lausanne.

A minute's silence was held in the memory of those who lost their lives in the 3 August genocide.

BASEL

Members of the Basel Democratic Kurdish Community Center opened a banner with the inscription "Genocide and femicides were committed in Shengal on 3 August 2014" in German and chanted slogans condemning the genocide.

YJK-S member Özen Aytaç said: "In the 21st century, the Yazidi people were subjected to genocide before the eyes of the world. They were not defended by the Iraqi and Peshmerga forces in Shengal. Shengal was razed to the ground, thousands of people were brutally murdered, thousands of women and children were kidnapped, sold in slave markets, subjected to psychological, cultural, physical and sexual assault.  

Today, 250,000 Yazidis are still condemned to live in Iraq, Turkey, Northern and Eastern Syria, and partly in different parts of Europe.”

GENEVA

As part of the 3 August commemoration events, a documentary on the Yazidi Genocide was screened at the Democratic Kurdish Community Center in Geneva.

ZURICH

The Bêrîtan Women's Council organized an event to pay tribute to the victims of the Yazidi genocide.

Bêrîtan Women's Council representative, Ayşe Dicle, spoke about the oppression, rape, enslavement and de-identification of Yazidis.

She demanded the international states to recognize this genocide and to establish an international court to account for crimes against the Yazidi community.