Mr. Donald Tusk
President of the European Council
Rue de la Loi 175
1048 Brussels

Re: Genocide perpetrated by the so-called ”ISIS/Da’esh”

Dear President Tusk,

On February 4th, the European Parliament adopted the resolution “Systematic mass murder by ISIS”. It passed by a large majority. The resolution stresses that the “so-called ‘ISIS/Da’esh’ commits genocide against Christians, Yazidis, and other religious and ethnic minorities.” It also “urges the members of the UN Security Council to support a referral by the Security Council to the International Criminal Court in order to investigate violations committed in Iraq and Syria by the so-called ‘ISIS/Daesh’ against Christians, Yazidis and religious and ethnic minorities.”

This resolution, which is based on an ever growing body of evidence of intentional destruction, murder, rape, sexual enslavement, torture, kidnapping and other serious and cruel criminal activities against civilians belonging to religious and ethnic minorities who refuse to adhere to Daesh’s version of Islam, calls for resolute further action. Given that it is unlikely that Syria or Iraq would refer the atrocities committed by the so-called ‘ISIS/Da’esh’ to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the foreseeable future, another mechanism for engaging the ICC is a resolution of the UN Security Council, to which several EU Member States belong either as permanent or non-permanent member.

The genocide that is being perpetrated by the so-called ‘ISIS/Da’esh’ needs to be recognised by UN Member States and their representatives. This would be a first and necessary step to eventually bring the perpetrators to trial and to justice. All 28 EU Member States are Parties to the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which puts them under the obligation to “prevent and punish” acts of genocide, and entitles any of them to “call upon the competent organs of the United Nations to take such action under the Charter of the United Nations as they consider appropriate for the prevention and suppression of acts of genocide” (Article 8).

Despite the EU’s strong condemnation of the atrocities committed by the so-called ‘ISIS/Da’esh’, more decisive action by the EU and its Member States is required. EU Member States have a number of avenues through which to address these genocidal acts, including diplomatic, humanitarian, and financial, the use of force in accordance with International Law being a very last resort. In this respect, the Paris Action Plan (09.08.2015) is a valid point of reference. Effective actions should be explored within the Council in order to adopt specific and urgent measures to: a) support affected populations and facilitate durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons, including voluntary return and reintegration, b) fighting against impunity and assuring justice and compensation to the victims of genocide; and c) preserving religious and ethnic diversity in the Middle East and North of Africa, as a way to avoid radicalization and assure stability in the region.

Therefore, we respectfully call upon you to encourage the 28 Heads of State and Government to recognise the ongoing genocide by so-called ‘ISIS/Da’esh’ against Christians, Yazidis and religious and ethnic minorities and to support in any possible way a resolution at the UN Security Council in order to: a) prevent the continuation of genocidal acts by the so-called ‘ISIS/Da’esh’ and duly protect the targeted religious and ethnic minorities; b) provide them with the security, means and resources to stay in their homeland, or to subsequently return; and c) prosecute criminals responsible for genocidal acts, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

We are copying this letter to the President of the European Commission, VP/HR Federica Mogherini, the President of the European Parliament and all Heads of State and Government in the European Council.

Yours respectfully,

Lars Adaktusson MEP (EPP)

Michèle Alliot-Marie MEP (EPP)

Petras Austrevicius MEP (ALDE)

Georges Bach MEP (EPP)

Bas Belder MEP (ECR)

Brando Benifei MEP (S&D)

Esther de Lange MEP (EPP)

Angel Dzhambazki MEP (ECR)

Augustín Díaz de Mera García-Consuegra MEP (EPP)

José Inácio Faria MEP (ALDE)

Santiago Fisas MEP (EPP)

Anna Fotyga MEP (ECR)

Doru-Claudian Frunzulica MEP (S&D)

Kinga Gál MEP (EPP)

Teresa Gimenez Barbat MEP (ALDE)

Giorgos Grammatikakis MEP (S&D)

Nathalie Griesbeck MEP (ALDE)

Andrzej Gryb MEP (EPP)

Marian Harkin MEP (ALDE)

György Hölvényi MEP (EPP)

Teresa Jimenez-Becerril Barrio MEP (EPP)

Marek Jurek MEP (ECR)

Philippe Juvin MEP (EPP)

Tunne Kelam MEP (EPP)

Miltiadis Kyrkos MEP (S&D)

Gabrielius Landsbergis MEP (EPP)

Ryszard Legutko MEP (ECR)

Peter Lundgren MEP (EFDD)

Ramona Manescu MEP (EPP)

Costas Mavrides MEP (S&D)

Mairead McGuinness MEP (EPP)

Miroslav Mikolášik MEP (EPP)

Fransisco Millán Mon MEP (EPP)

Luigi Morgano MEP (S&D)

Ulrike Müller MEP (ALDE)

Javier Nart MEP (ALDE)

Urmas Paet MEP (ALDE)

Marijana Petir MEP (EPP)

Soraya Post MEP (S&D)

Cristian Dan Preda MEP (EPP)

Carolina Punset MEP (ALDE)

Jacek Saryusz-Wolski MEP (EPP)

Jaromir Štětina MEP (EPP)

Davor Stier MEP (EPP)

Patricija Šulin MEP (EPP)

Pavel Svoboda MEP (EPP)

Tibor Szanyi MEP (S&D)

Hannu Takkula MEP (ALDE)

Romana Tomc MEP (EPP)

László Tőkés MEP (EPP)

Peter van Dalen MEP (ECR)

Hilde Vautmans MEP (ALDE)

Beatrix von Storch MEP (ECR)

Julie Ward MEP (S&D)

Josef Weidenholzer MEP (S&D)

Bogdan Wenta MEP (EPP)

Cecilia Wikström MEP (ALDE)

Kristina Winberg MEP (EFDD)

Iuliu Winkler MEP (EPP)

Jadwiga Wiśniewska MEP (ECR)

Tatjana Zdanoka MEP (Green/EFA)

Milan Zver MEP (EPP)