Murad Ismael, a well-known Yazidi activist and co-founder of Sinjar Academy, faces an arrest warrant issued by a court in Mosul. The warrant was issued after the Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement filed a complaint accusing Ismael of insulting Minister of Migration Evan Faeq Jabro. Ismael, who has been a vocal advocate for Yazidi rights, particularly regarding the situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs), believes the arrest warrant is politically motivated.
The IDP crisis in Iraq, particularly affecting Yazidis displaced by the ISIS attack on Shingal (Sinjar) in 2014, remains unresolved. Many Yazidis continue to live in camps in poor conditions, facing a lack of security and inadequate government support. Ismael has criticised the ministry’s failure to address ongoing displacement issues and the inadequate assistance provided to these communities.
Ismael claims that the court issued the arrest warrant without prior notice or an opportunity to defend himself, arguing that this bypasses standard legal procedures. “If they think I will back down from revealing the truth about the Ministry’s failures, they are mistaken,” Ismael said in an X post. “I will hire a lawyer and I am ready to appear before the Iraqi judiciary.”
The Iraqi Minister of Migration has filed a lawsuit against me over my previous writings, accusing me of defamation or something similar, and one of the Mosul courts issued an arrest warrant against me before even giving me the chance to appear before the court.
If this minister…
— Murad Ismael (@murad_ismael) April 9, 2025
The arrest warrant has drawn condemnation from Yazidi organisations and activists, who see it as an attempt to silence critics of the government’s handling of Yazidi issues. In solidarity with Ismael, the Yazidi community voiced their concerns on social media. Ismael retweeted a post from a Yazidi account that strongly criticised the Ministry of Migration for trying to suppress activists: “When a ministry becomes an executioner in the midst of a failing justice system, it becomes a tool of oppression against those who speak the truth.”
Ismael’s case highlights the ongoing struggles of the Yazidi community and the challenges faced by activists seeking justice and accountability.
