Yezidi victims to file lawsuit against ISIS collaborators
By Roni Alasor
20 May 2022 - Middle East Diplomatic - The French appeals court upheld the earlier Court de Cassation decision that a ISIS collaborators company, Lafarge must face charges of complicity in crimes against humanity.
Lafarge merged with Swiss company Holcim in 2015 to become the world`s largest cement maker. Lafarge was indicted for complicity in crimes against humanity for payments made to ISIS middlemen in Syria in 2013-2014 by French courts.
According to the Free Yezidi Foundation (FYF), a Yezidi women-led civil society organization, it has officially been admitted by French judicial authorities in the lawsuit against the French multinational company, Lafarge. Lafarge was indicted for complicity in crimes against humanity – which includes, but is not limited to, enslavement and genocide – related to payments made to the so-called Islamic State (IS, ISIS, Daesh) in Syria.
In August 2014, ISIS carried out a genocide against the Yezidi community in Sinjar, displacing thousands to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. ISIS also enslaved thousands of Yezidi Kurdish women and sold them as sex slaves.
In a press release, FYF stated that it’s application to seek admission as a civil party was first filed in March 2019, and the application was accepted on 9 May 2022. On 18 May 2022, the French appeals court upheld the earlier Cour de Cassation decision that Lafarge must face charges of complicity in crimes against humanity. FYF will be among the parties contributing information and documentation in this case. More details in this regard will be made public in due course.
Ms. Pari Ibrahim, FYF’s founder and Executive Director, said, “The world was aware of the crimes and the atrocities ISIS was inflicting on civilians, including the Yezidi people. Corporations that made payoffs to ISIS are complicit and must be held to account for their actions. Our efforts are designed to help ensure the voice of Yezidis is heard, including all survivors equally and the families of those who were killed. Yezidis constitute a small and vulnerable community, but justice is important to our people, and individuals or corporations that have violated our rights must be judged in a court of law.”
Ms. Clemence Bectarte, FYF’s legal representative in France, said, “We are pleased that FYF will have the opportunity to present the evidence it has collected in this investigation. It is imperative that corporations are accountable for their actions, particularly when such actions contribute to mass atrocities such as those perpetrated by ISIS.”