The United Nations' Response to Widespread and Systematic Sexual Violence by ISIS against Yazidi Women

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student of International Relations , Department of Political Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor of International Relations, Department of Political Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

3 Professor of International Relations, Department of Political Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

10.22126/mps.2025.12590.1079

Abstract

This article examines the United Nations' response to the widespread and systematic sexual violence perpetrated by the Islamic State group (ISIS) against Yazidi women. The central research question is: What was the nature of the UN’s response to ISIS’s sexual violence against Yazidi women from 2014 to 2017? The study hypothesizes that the UN, by identifying ISIS’s crimes against Yazidi women, including sexual violence, played a crucial role in creating the conditions for the criminal prosecution of perpetrators and the development of legal norms for protecting women from widespread and systematic sexual violence in armed conflicts. This was achieved through the issuance of Security Council resolutions, the establishment of investigative mechanisms such as UNITAD, and the integration of sexual violence considerations into peacekeeping missions and international responses. This research employs an explanatory methodology, with data collected through a systematic analysis of official reports, legal documents, books, and articles. The findings indicate that sexual violence against women has historically been encompassed within the categories of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. However, due to the UN's efforts, particularly in the context of ISIS’s crimes against Yazidi women, sexual violence has been explicitly recognized and highlighted as a constituent element of genocide. This not only advanced transitional justice but also facilitated the broader process of recognizing sexual violence as an element of the crime of genocide in international legal instruments.

Keywords

References

اسماعیل‌نسب، حسین. (۱۳۹۶). «استراتژی‌های متفاوت حاکم بر تحقق فرایند عدالت انتقالی». مطالعات بین‌المللی، ۱۴(1)، ۵۹-۸۰. https://www.isjq.ir/article_90663.html
جوانمردی‌صاحب، مرتضی؛ رستگار مهجن‌آبادی، محمدباقر. (۱۳۹۶). «بررسی فرضیۀ نسل‌زدایی ایزدی‌های عراق توسط داعش». پژوهش‌های حقوق جزا و جرم‌شناسی، ۵(9)، ۴۹-۸۶. https://jclc.sdil.ac.ir/article_49821.html
خالقی، علی؛ برزگر، محمدرضا. (۱۳۹۹). «خشونت جنسی علیه زنان ایزدی به‌مثابۀ نسل‌زدایی با تأکید بر رأی دادگاه بین‌المللی روآندا در پروندۀ آکایسو». پژوهش‌های حقوق جزا و جرم‌شناسی، ۸(16)، ۷-۳۱. https://doi.org/10.22034/jclc.2021.125295
ذاکریان، مهدی؛ باقری‌حامد، یوسف. (۱۳۹۴). «تبیین مفهوم عدالت انتقالی در نظام بین‌المللی حقوق بشر با تأکید بر پروندۀ مصر». مطالعات بین‌المللی، ۱۲(2)، ۱-۲۸. https://www.isjq.ir/article_93167.html?lang=fa
سبحانی، مهین. (۲۰۱۷). «سازوکارهای کارآمد و مشروع عدالت انتقالی». پژوهش‌نامۀ حقوق کیفری، ۸(1)، ۸۵-۱۰۹. https://journals.guilan.ac.ir/article_2289.html
طلعت، آرمین. (۱۳۹۴). «جرائم بین‌المللی ارتکابی داعش در پرتو عدالت کیفری». پژوهش‌های حقوقی، ۱۴(28)، ۱۰۷-۱۳۲. https://jlr.sdil.ac.ir/article_32042.html
عزیزی، ستار. (۱۳۸۶). «عناصر جنایت ژنوسید در رأی ۲۶ فوریۀ ۲۰۰۷ دیوان بین‌المللی دادگستری و رویۀ دادگاه‌های ویژۀ بین‌المللی کیفری». مجلۀ حقوقی بین‌المللی، ۲۴(36)، ۹-۳۴. https://doi.org/10.22066/cilamag.2007.17775
عزیزی، ستار؛ اسلام‌پناه، رسول. (۱۳۹۷). «اثبات ارتکاب جنایت ژنوسید علیه ایزدی‌ها». در نقش بازیگران غیردولتی در تهدید علیه صلح و امنیت منطقه‌ای و بین‌المللی، ویراستار: ن. صادقی، تهران: مؤسسۀ مطالعات و پژوهش‌های حقوقی شهر دانش، ۱۶۷-۱۹۲.
مؤمنی، مهدی. (2017). «ارزیابی اعمال صلاحیت جزایی ایران و دیوان کیفری بین‌المللی نسبت به جنایات ارتکابی داعش در سوریه و عراق». پژوهش‌های حقوق تطبیقی، 21(1)، 149-176. http://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.22516751.1396.21.1.6.3
مهرگان، امیرحسین. (۱۳۹۶). «عدالت انتقالی: ضرورت‌ها و چالش‌ها». مطالعات بین‌المللی، ۱۴(8)، ۴۷-۵۸. https://www.isjq.ir/article_90662.html
یزدیان‌جعفری، جعفر؛ دیرباز، مرضیه. (۱۳۹۷). «عدالت انتقالی: شیوه‌های برخورد با جرائم بین‌المللی در جوامع انتقالی». مطالعات حقوق کیفری و جرم‌شناسی، ۴۸(2)، ۴۹۵-۵۱۲. https://doi.org/10.22059/jqclcs.2019.70821
 
References
Abad Castelos, M. (2023). “Towards a holistic consideration of crimes against nature committed in times of armed conflict: A critical approach to the case of Iraq”. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 12(3), 77–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.5204/ijcjsd.2707
Azizi, S. & Eslam Panah, R. (2018). “Proving the commission of genocide against Yazidis”. In N. Sadeghi (Ed.), The role of non-state actors in threats to regional and international peace and security (pp. 167–192). Shahr-e Danesh Legal Studies and Research Institute. [In Persian].
Azizi, S. (2007). “Elements of the crime of genocide in the judgment of February 26, 2007 of the International Court of Justice and the procedure of the specialized international criminal courts”. International Legal Journal, 24(36), 9-34. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22066/cilamag.2007.17775
Castelos, M. A. (2021). “Foreign terrorist fighters and the UN Investigative Team to support domestic efforts to hold ISIS accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Iraq: Building a bridge that should be used”. The Age of Human Rights Journal, 16, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.17561/tahrj.v16.6302
Cetorelli, V.; Sasson, I.; Shabila, N. & Burnham, G. (2017). “Mortality and kidnapping estimates for the Yazidi population in the area of Mount Sinjar, Iraq, in August 2014: A retrospective household survey”. PLoS Medicine, 14(5), e1002297. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002297
Chinkin, C. & Rees, M. (2019). Commentary on Security Council Resolution 2467: continued state obligation and civil society action on sexual violence in conflict.‏ LSE Women, Peace and Security.
Davies, S. E. & True, J. (2015). “The pandemic of conflict-related sexual violence and the political economy of gender inequality”. In A. J. A. Davies (Ed.), Rape justice: Beyond the criminal law (pp. 160–181). Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Esmail Nasab, H. (2017). “The Different Strategies Governing the Realization of the Transitional Justice Process”. International Studies Quarterly, 14(1), 59-80. [In Persian]. https://www.isjq.ir/article_90663.html?lang=en
Fitzpatrick, B. (2016). “United Nations Security Council resolution 1325”. In B. Fitzpatrick (Ed.), Tactical rape in war and conflict (pp. 157–180). Policy Press.
Gilmore, S. A. (2018). “United Nations Security Council Resolution 2379”. International Legal Materials, 57(5), 960–965. https://doi.org/10.1017/ilm.2018.41
Hadi, R. P. & Soesilowati, S. (2018). “The role of women in security Indonesian women peacekeepers in the UNIFIL: Challenges and opportunities”. Masyarakat, Kebudayaan dan Politik, 31(4), 380–388. https://doi.org/10.20473/mkp.V31I42018.380-388
Hilpold, P. (2015). “The fight against terrorism and SC Resolution 2249 (2015): towards a more Hobbesian or a more Kantian International Society?” Indian Journal of International Law, 55(4), 535-555.‏ https://doi.org/10.1007/s40901-016-0028-1
Javanmardi Saheb, M., & Rostegar Mahjanabadi, M. B. (2017). “Examining the hypothesis of the genocide of Yazidis in Iraq by ISIS”. Criminal Law and Criminology Studies, 5(9), 49–86. [In Persian]. https://jclc.sdil.ac.ir/article_49821.html?lang=en
Khaleghi, A., & Barzegar, M. R. (2020). “Sexual violence against Yazidi women as genocide with emphasis on the International Criminal Court’s Akayesu case”. Criminal Law and Criminology Studies, 16, 7–31. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22034/jclc.2021.125295
Manjoo, R. (2017). “Introduction: Reflections on the concept and implementation of transformative reparations”. The International Journal of Human Rights, 21(9), 1193–1203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2017.1366666
Mehrgan, A. (2017). “Transitional justice: Necessities and challenges”. International Studies Quarterly, 14(1), 47-58. [In Persian]. https://www.isjq.ir/article_90662.html?lang=en
Menzel, A. & Tschörner, L. (2023). “Responding to sexual violence: How (De-) politicization and technicalization shape donor-funded interventions”. International Peacekeeping, 30(1), 128–154. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13533312.2022.2157820
Momeni, M. (2017). “Evaluating the Criminal Jurisdiction of Iran and the International Criminal Court over Crimes Committed by ISIS in Syria and Iraq”. Comparative Law Researches, 21(1), 149-176. [In Persian]. http://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.22516751.1396.21.1.6.3
Powell, C. (2015). “Sexual Violence as Genocide: The Importance of Recognizing Gendered Crimes”. Georgetown Journal of International Law, 46(3), 709–747.
Revkin, M. R. & Wood, E. J. (2021). “The Islamic State's pattern of sexual violence: Ideology and institutions, policies and practices”. Journal of Global Security Studies, 6(2), ogaa038. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3654558
Secretary-General, U. N. (2020). Measures to eliminate international terrorism: Report of the Secretary-General. United Nations.
Sobhani, M. (2017). “Effective and legitimate mechanisms of transitional justice”. Criminal Law Research Journal, 8(1), 85-109. [In Persian]. https://journals.guilan.ac.ir/article_2289.html
Talaat, A. (2015). “ISIS’s International Criminal inlight of Criminal Justice”. Journal of Legal Research, 14(28), 107-132. [In Persian]. https://jlr.sdil.ac.ir/article_32042.html?lang=en
Tschantret, J. (2018). “Cleansing the caliphate: Insurgent violence against sexual minorities”. International Studies Quarterly, 62(2), 260–273. https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqx091
UN Human Rights Council. (2016). They came to destroy: ISIS crimes against the Yazidis (A/HRC/32/CRP.2). Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoISyria/A_HRC_32_CRP.2_en.pdf
 United Nations Human Rights Council. (2016). They Came to Destroy: ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis. Geneva: UN.
Wæver, O. (2004, March). Aberystwyth, Paris, Copenhagen new 'schools' in security theory. Paper presented at the International Studies Association Conference, Montreal, Canada.
Yazdian Jafari, J., & Dirbaz, M. (2018). “Transitional justice: Methods of dealing with international crimes in transitional societies”. Criminal Law and Criminology Studies, 48(2), 495-512. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22059/jqclcs.2019.70821
Zakerian, M., & Bagheri Hamed, Y. (2015). “Explaining the concept of transitional justice in the international human rights system with an emphasis on the Egyptian case”. International Studies Quarterly, 12(2), 1-28. [In Persian]. https://www.isjq.ir/article_93167.html?lang=en

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 09 August 2025
  • Revise Date: 12 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 19 September 2025

Share

How to cite

Statistics