Welcome to YLN’s Blog Stream
YLN’s Blog Stream, consisting of a mix of analytical, educational and opinion posts, is used as a means of outreach and education for researchers, lawyers, NGOs, the general public and more.
Our focus is on Yazidi culture and the hardships the community faces because of the many genocides and widespread persecution. This comprises of, but is not limited to, describing Yazidi history and customs, as well as analysing relevant international law, specifically in relation to displacement, war crimes and genocide.
Through this, we hope to encourage debate on issues of accountability, human rights and justice.
A legal explanation of Genocide
The term “genocide” originates from Jewish-Polish Lawyer Raphäel Lemkin’s book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe. It was developed to describe the events and Nazi policies which led to the Holocaust. Soon after, in 1946, genocide was recognised by the UN General Assembly as a crime under international law in A/RES/96-I. Here the term “genocide” was defined as “a denial of the right of existence of entire human groups”.
Who are the Yazidis?
At Yazidi Legal Network (YLN), we aim to empower and support the Yazidi in their struggles to access justice for the crimes committed by ISIS in 2014. We do so by building bridges between the Yazidi community and domestic and international justice mechanisms. An essential part of this mission is to ensure that a wider audience is aware of the Yazidis and their culture and history. This blog is the place where you can find such information. Here, we share information about the Yazidis, the work of Yazidi Legal Network, and the people behind the organisation.
The YLN blog is a platform for writers to share their views and knowledge. The views presented in this blog are the views of the writers, and do not necessarily represent the views of Yazidi Legal Network or any other organisations or individuals they might be affiliated with.