TBILISI, Georgia – The Kurdish Community Association of Georgia, in cooperation with the Kurdistani Diaspora Confederation (KDC), will hold a special memorial ceremony in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, to commemorate the victims of the Yazidi Kurdish genocide and honour those who lost their lives during the Sinjar tragedy.
The event is being organised to pay tribute to the thousands of victims of the 2014 ISIS genocide against the Yazidi community and to reaffirm solidarity with the survivors. It is open to members of the Kurdish diaspora, supporters of human rights, and all those who wish to stand in remembrance of one of the darkest chapters in modern Kurdish history.
The memorial ceremony will take place on Sunday, 2 August, at 4:00 p.m., at the Caucasus House, located at 20 Galaktion Tabidze Street, Tbilisi.
In the early hours of 3 August 2014, militants of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) launched a brutal and coordinated assault on the Sinjar district and its surrounding villages, the historic homeland of the Yazidi Kurds. During the attack, thousands of innocent civilians were massacred, while thousands of women and children were abducted and subjected to slavery, sexual violence and other grave abuses.
The offensive also forced hundreds of thousands of Yazidis to flee their homes and seek refuge on Mount Sinjar. Trapped without adequate food, water or medical assistance under extreme summer temperatures, many elderly people and children lost their lives before humanitarian aid could reach them.
The atrocities committed in Sinjar shocked the international community and were subsequently recognised by numerous countries and international institutions as acts of genocide and crimes against humanity.
Organisers say the annual commemoration aims not only to honour the memory of the victims but also to keep the Sinjar genocide in the public conscience, raise awareness of the continuing plight of the Yazidi people, and help prevent similar atrocities from occurring in the future.