Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, congratulated the Yazidi community on their New Year.

In a statement, President Barzani expressed "warm wishes to all Yazidi sisters, brothers, and citizens in Kurdistan, Iraq, and worldwide, hoping for a joyful and safe holiday and a new year filled with happiness and success."

President Barzani reiterated the Kurdistan Region's commitment to supporting the rights and legitimate demands of the Yazidi community.

He stressed the ongoing efforts, including the work of his office, in rescuing kidnapped Yazidis.

The Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking minority, were persecuted by ISIS after the group overran large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq beginning in 2014.

On August 3, 2014, ISIS militants seized control of Sinjar. According to statistics, approximately 1,290 Yazidi civilians were murdered, and since then, more than 70 mass graves and numerous individual graves have been discovered in Sinjar.

In recognition of the Yazidi New Year, which falls on April 17, 2024, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has declared it a public holiday in the Kurdistan Region.