In this video, a human rights activist interviews Ayda Hassan, a Yazidi girl from Sinjar/Shangal. Ayda Hassan, along with several other Yazidi girls, went to an official center of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to complain about the Peshmerga, but she said, instead of settling the problem, we were slapped and beaten by the official.The interview is as follows:
– What is your name?
– Ayda Hassan. I want to say this only for the purpose of restoring our rights and nothing else. Because a very terrible crime was committed against us. I went to the Peshmerga authorities to complain (another girl who was a Peshmerga victim is crying). I asked them why the Peshmerga raped Yazidi women and girls during the massacre. The peshmerga official grabbed my hand and threw it, slapping me a few times. I told them you have no right to touch me, you are worse than ISIS.
Man: Did they shoot you, too?
Ayda Hassan: They threw stones at us and fired from the air.
– What did you say that led to this reaction? Did you say anything bad about the Peshmerga?
Ayda Hassan: I did nothing but asked for an appeal.
– You only talked about the Peshmerga?
Ayda Hassan: Yes. They even took all our belongings. They stole everything.
– Are you from Shangal?
Ayda Hassan: Yes, I am from Shangal, from Kocho village. The Peshmerga official told me that if you were honored, you should not have come here! I replied: If you had the honor, you would not say such a thing.
– How did you get here?
Ayda Hassan: We came here on foot.
– How is this possible?
Someone from their newsroom told me to show the private parts of our body to make sure something happened or not! It is not right at all for the Peshmerga to be left alone while having committed these crimes against Yazidi women. Is this the protection they claim to have provided? Is this human rights? Is this our right? Is this justice?
Second girl: They suddenly surprised us and drove us away. We would not have been raped if the Peshmerga were not in Sinjar. What faults have we committed?
– The Peshmerga came and brought this crime against you?
Ayda Hassan: Yes, they were Peshmerga.
– Where were you yourself?
Ayda Hassan: We were displaced, we were fleeing. We were on foot. The peshmergas came and we thought they were going to help, but they took us and raped us.
– How many were you?
Ayda Hassan: We were many. They took us towards Zakho. We were not a threat to them, they could do nothing with us.
How many people did they take?
– They took weapons towards us and took a large number. They threw themselves on everyone and raped.
Video file link:
