Shireen Khudeeda, now 31, was just 19 when Islamic State fighters killed over 250 men in her village of Hardan, northern Iraq, in August 2014. She was abducted and held as a sex slave for three years, enduring repeated rape and being sold among militants. Twelve years later, she says the UK and international community have failed to honour pledges to prevent genocide and prosecute perpetrators.
Survivor Recounts Horrors of Captivity
On August 3, 2014, ISIS arrived in Hardan, a Yazidi village on the northern side of Shingal Mountain near the Syrian border. They ordered residents to raise a white flag, promising no harm. But Shireen's family knew of relatives already killed on the southern side. That afternoon, they tried to flee toward Shingal Mountain but were stopped at a junction. Fighters separated men from families and took boys aged 13 or 14, then drove women and children to a school where thousands were held. UN research from October 2014 estimates 250 to 300 men from Hardan were killed, 10 by beheading.
Shireen was taken to Mosul and held captive for three years. 'I was passed around and sold to several different ISIS members, enduring a non-stop nightmare of isolation, horror, and absolute brutality,' she told Metro. 'They raped us, sold and bought us, and even gifted us to one another.' She witnessed a man shot before her eyes. Despite this, she initially believed Western countries would rescue her people. 'When other women were crying, I told my grandmother that the great countries would help us. At that time, I truly believed that.' No rescue came. She escaped in 2017.
Genocide Recognition Deemed Insufficient
ISIS killed more than 5,000 Yazidis, enslaved an estimated 6,000, and 2,700 remain missing. The UK acknowledged the genocide in August 2023, following the UN, Germany, France, and the US. But Shireen, who considers the genocide ongoing, is unconvinced. 'I would like to ask the UK: Did they even try to stop the genocide while it was taking place? Recognition alone is symbolic and simply not enough when perpetrators remain free,' she said.
The Genocide Convention of 1948, ratified by the UK in 1970, obliges countries to prevent and punish genocide. Campaigners say the UK and others have failed to prosecute anyone for genocide. Aldo Zammit-Borda, Professor of Law at City St George's, University of London, told Metro: 'There has been a large number of foreign fighters who joined ISIS. Some have returned to the UK. Although there have been some terrorism prosecutions, that is a different crime. We would like the UK to prosecute these foreign fighters for genocide.'
Truth Commission to Address Inaction
A new Truth Commission, chaired by human rights lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, will hear oral evidence from over 30 survivor-experts and specialists over three days. It will submit a landmark report to the Houses of Parliament in 2027. The commission is community-led and funded by the Economic Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. It is led by experts at City St George's, University of Manchester, and the German Institute for Global and Area Studies.
Prof Zammit-Borda said: 'The Commission is there to create momentum for justice for the Yazidi people. To remind the world that they are waiting for justice.' The commission is particularly focused on forcing Iraq to prosecute fighters for genocide and wants the UK to apply diplomatic pressure for a legal framework.
Only a Handful of Genocide Prosecutions So Far
Only a few genocide cases have occurred, in Germany and France, including one ISIS member found guilty of genocide against Yazidis in November 2021. A UN inquiry has identified over 1,400 suspected perpetrators. The Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command has a war crimes team that investigates genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture. Earlier this year, the CPS charged a man with crimes against humanity for international crimes in Syria, following a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation.
Shireen, now an advocate, wants the commission to 'recognise the failures that allowed the genocide to happen, and contribute to justice and accountability.' She added: 'The UK and the international community have failed us by offering promises and sympathy instead of real accountability, justice, and action. True justice means examining all aspects of the genocide to ensure this will never happen again.' She also calls for more investment in professional centres to support survivors. Fewer than 1,000 Yazidis live in the UK; the largest expat population is in Germany, with over 200,000. The Foreign Office declined to comment.
