Truth Commission

A Community-Based Truth Commission (CBTC) is a form of transitional justice that draws its authority not from a state or international body, but from the community it serves. It provides a structured, public platform where survivors can present evidence, share their experiences, and shape what accountability means on their own terms.

For the Ezidis, more than a decade after the 2014 ISIS genocide, meaningful justice remains elusive: thousands of women and children are still missing, and the dismantlement of the UN's investigative mechanism (UNITAD) in 2024 has left a critical gap. This CBTC places Ezidi survivor-experts at the centre, recognising them not as passive witnesses but as knowledge holders and active agents of justice.

The project adopts a trauma-informed approach throughout all its activities, and in particular in the work of the CBTC. This means that the safety, dignity and wellbeing of Ezidi survivor-experts are prioritised at every stage, from the initial process of identifying and preparing witnesses, through the proceedings themselves, and in any follow-up. All team members and volunteers receive training in trauma-informed practices, and experienced intercultural counsellors provide psychosocial support to participants before, during and after the proceedings. Witnesses are offered a range of participation options, including giving testimony in person, online, or anonymously, and may withdraw at any point.

© Leyla Ferman | Women for Justice

Convening at the German Bundestag in 2026, the Commission will hear oral evidence from Ezidi survivor-experts and specialists over three days, evaluated by a panel of internationally recognised Commissioners. Its outcomes will include an authoritative evidentiary record and a published report with concrete policy recommendations for governments. These outcomes are aimed at renewing momentum and media attention for domestic legislation, universal jurisdiction prosecutions, and possibly the establishment of a dedicated international tribunal. Above all, it will offer the Ezidi community an unmediated public platform to tell their story and to define, for themselves, what justice looks like.

Insights from survivor-experts in the CBTC, combined with perspectives from interviews with policymakers and politicians will advance an in-depth understanding of perspectives on, and systemic barriers to accountability, while enabling development of realistic strategies for reform.

Meet the Truth Commissioners