Iraqi Minorities in Geneva Demand Emergency Session

Iraqi Minorities in Geneva Meet UN, US, EU, Demand Emergency Session

Left to right: Iraqi Christians Ramzi Wahida & Maryam Wahida, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer, Iraqi Christian representative,
and Yazidi spokesman Breen Tahseen

GENEVA, Aug. 20, 2014 –

The following statement was issued today by Mr. Breen Tahseen, the son and spokesman of Prince Tahseen, leader of the Yazidi people, at the conclusion of Geneva diplomatic meetings:

Today I conducted valuable meetings in Geneva, on behalf of the Yazidi people, with UN representatives of the United States and the European Union, and with the UN office of the high commissioner for human rights.

We are grateful for the extensive, in-depth and productive discussions concerning the desperate plight of the Yazidi people.

We reached important consensus about the need for the international community to act. We appreciate their efforts and trust that concrete and effective action will follow.

On behalf of Prince Tahseen and the Yazidi people, we appeal to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay to lead the call for the UN Human Rights Council to hold an emergency session in order to focus world attention on the desperate plight of the Yazidi people.

The outcome of the session should focus on the following key objectives:

• Release of the approximately 5,000 Yazidi people kidnapped by ISIS.

• Resettlement of Yazidi refugees in Europe, the U.S., Canada, and Australia, with priority to the victims of genocide and their families.

• Creation of a safe zone in Iraq for displaced persons, supervised by the UN and administered by Christians and Yazidis.

• Compensation to victims for material and moral damages, and an allocation to them under the Iraqi budget.

We also request that negotiations by the international community with Iraq should include direct consultation with the Yazidi people.

Finally, we wish to express our gratitude to the human rights group UN Watch for successfully organizing my visit to Geneva, along with an inspiring solidarity rally, UN press conference and diplomatic meetings.

ENDS

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