New York-Berlin: Europe and the Arabs
The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide welcomed the sentence handed down by a German court against a former member of ISIS to 9 years and 3 months in prison, on charges of enslaving and ill-treating a Yazidi woman in Syria and Iraq. According to what was stated in the United Nations news bulletin, of which we received a copy this Friday morning

On Wednesday, June 21, the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz issued a judgment against a German citizen, Nadine K. She is a former member of ISIS.

Nadine, 37, joined ISIS in late 2014, following the terrorist group’s invasion of the Sinjar region of Iraq, carrying out mass executions of Yazidi men and women, and abducting and enslaving girls and children for sexual purposes.

Nadine was sentenced to 9 years and 3 months in prison on charges of aiding and abetting genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes for the enslavement and ill-treatment of a young Yazidi woman in support of ISIS's brutal campaign to eradicate the Yazidi religious minority in Iraq.

This is the third conviction of an ISIS member of genocide against the Yazidi community in Iraq and Syria since August 2014.

There is no room for impunity
Counselor Alice Ndireto said that this ruling serves as a warning that there is no room for impunity for all those who commit atrocity crimes - namely genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity - as well as incite or glorify their perpetrators. She assured that justice will prevail.

She added:

“Criminal accountability is not only about the past, it is also about the future. It is a critical element of prevention because it deters future crimes from being committed, and it is an important step towards addressing the trauma of atrocity crimes, and ensuring that the dignity of victims and their families is respected.”

An invitation to the Iraqi government
The Special Adviser further stressed that the German court's ruling against an accused genocide provides legal recognition of the allegations of this crime against the Yazidi population.

In this context, the Special Adviser stressed that there remains an urgent need for the Government of Iraq to allow all legal means to prevent the commission of atrocity crimes, including the domestication of the Genocide Convention and the development of national capacities to prosecute atrocity crimes.

It urged the Iraqi authorities to strengthen their efforts to promote accountability for atrocity crimes committed in Iraq. She added:

"A peaceful Iraq cannot be built without ensuring justice and respect for the dignity of the victims, and the protection of minorities and their feeling that they are an integral part of society."

Counselor Alice Ndireto reminded the Iraqi government of its obligation to respect and implement international humanitarian law and human rights law, and its duty to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of alleged atrocity crimes if sufficient evidence is available.

It called for reparations for the victims, including rehabilitation when needed, in the best interest of the victims.