Honoring Ghazal: A Step Toward Justice and Dignity

After more than a year of determined work, Nadia’s Initiative secured the approvals needed to exhume the remains of Ghazal Adi Khalaf – a Yazidi woman from Hardan village who perished in ISIS captivity.

Ghazal’s story carries both immense tragedy and remarkable courage. In 2014, during the genocide against the Yazidi people, she was abducted and taken by ISIS to the village of Qazel Qaio, near Tal Afar. On the night of December 22, 2014, she attempted a daring escape. After summoning every ounce of her strength to break free, exhaustion and the bitter winter cut her journey short near Sharaia village, in Tal Afar District. Nearby villagers buried her where she fell, without a grave marker. Over time, her final resting place was lost to memory.

This year, after seven hours of careful excavation, Ghazal’s remains were found and recovered. They have been transferred to Iraq’s Medico-Legal Directorate for DNA identification, and at last, her family will be able to lay her to rest with dignity and the proper burial she was long denied.

Why This Matters

Beyond bringing long overdue closure to families, exhumations like these are about truth, justice, and remembrance. Each recovery restores the humanity of those ISIS sought to erase, affirming to families and to history that their lives – and their struggles – will never be forgotten.

At Nadia’s Initiative, we remain steadfast in our commitment to honor survivors and the families of victims with recognition, dignity, and justice. Ghazal’s story is a poignant reminder of the Yazidi community’s resilience – and of why this work must continue.