The new Dutch government, a coalition of four political parties, announced a coalition agreement on May 16, six months after the elections, which includes an initiative to establish an international tribunal for prosecuting crimes, including genocide, committed by ISIS.

“This initiative by the Netherlands to establish an international tribunal for prosecuting ISIS crimes, including genocide, is a historic step towards justice for Yezidi victims,” co-director of Dutch non-governmental organization NL Helpt Yezidis Wahhab Hassoo told Kurdistan Chronicle. “It underscores the commitment to address the atrocities against our community and offers hope for accountability and support for survivors.”

In July 2021, the Dutch Parliament recognized the ISIS massacre of Yezidis in August 2014 as genocide.

“NL Helpt Yezidis fully supports this decision. We played a major role in the genocide recognition in 2021, and are ready to collaborate with the government to ensure justice and necessary assistance for the Yezidi community both in the Netherlands and abroad,” Hassoo added.

Dutch ISIS members were also allegedly involved in the Yezidi genocide and Dutch women who were members of ISIS have been put on trial on charges of enslaving Yezidi women.

Co-founder and president of Sinjar Academy Murad Ismael told Kurdistan Chronicle that he welcomes any efforts toward establishment of a tribunal against ISIS international crimes, especially now that the mandate of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIS (UNITAD) will end in September 2024 after a request by Baghdad.

Read More: Kurdistan Officials Bid Farewell to UN Investigative Head Probing ISIS Crimes

“The Netherlands is known for its support of accountability and justice and this initiative falls under that,” Ismael said. “Baghdad has requested the closure of UNITAD and there is a need to carry on the investigation and eventually hold trials, which we think a tribunal is the best option for.”

“We have been advocating for the establishment of such a court for a long time, but because we do not have enough political and geopolitical leverage, it never happened,” he emphasized. “We are glad that the Netherlands is recognizing the issue of impunity and wanting to help.

Founder and Executive Director of the Free Yezidi Foundation (FYF) Pari Ibrahim also told Kurdistan Chronicle that the FYF supports the Dutch government’s intention to proceed with a tribunal to address crimes, including genocide, committed by ISIS against Yezidis.

“After many years of advocacy, the message has finally been heard: ISIS is a threat to international security. We would caution that this initiative is in its early stages, and we will see what legal substance comes from this effort. We are happy to see that the new cabinet appreciates the importance of this issue.”