France Holds First Trial in Absentia of ISIS Member Over Yazidi Genocide

France Holds First Trial in Absentia of ISIS Member Over Yazidi Genocide
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France has opened its first trial in absentia against a French member of ISIS accused of genocide and crimes against humanity linked to atrocities committed against the Yazidis.

The trial, which began on March 16 and is set to run until March 20, focuses on the role of Sabri Essid in crimes committed between 2014 and 2016 against four Yazidi women and their seven children. Essid is believed to have died in Syria.

According to Agence France-Presse, Essid initially served as a bodyguard for a senior ISIS figure before joining the group’s internal security apparatus. He is accused of enslaving, detaining, trafficking, and sexually abusing Yazidi women and children.

Lawyer Clémence Bectarte, representing the victims, said the trial aims to formally recognize the crimes and allow survivors’ testimonies to be heard, ensuring justice and protecting the rights of victims and their families.

Investigations led by Karim Khan of the United Nations have found strong evidence of genocide committed by ISIS against the Yazidis, with more than 5,000 people killed and around 400,000 displaced.

Similar prosecutions have taken place in Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, and Belgium as part of broader efforts to secure justice for victims.