Yazidi Community Targeted in 2014 ISIS Offensive
Why this is here: The French trial of Sabri Essid marked the first time a French citizen was convicted by French justice for the crime of genocide.
ISIS launched an offensive in the Iraqi Sinjar mountains in 2014, targeting the Yazidi community. The Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking religious minority with ancient beliefs. They have faced long-term religious persecution, especially from radical Islamists.
The jihadist assault became a genocide. Men and boys were largely massacred and thrown into mass graves. Women and children faced human trafficking and sexual slavery.
The United Nations designated the Sinjar massacres as genocide in 2016. France held a historic trial in March 2026. A French court convicted Sabri Essid, a French jihadist, of genocide, crimes against humanity, and complicity in these crimes.