MPs unanimously declare Islamic State treatment of Christians and Yazidis genocide

MPs have voted unanimously to describe IS atrocities against Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities as genocide, and to refer the issue to the UN Security Council.

Going against the view of the Government and Foreign Office, 278 MPs to 0 yesterday voted in favour of the motion tabled by Conservative MP Fiona Bruce.

Mrs Bruce said: “The proposers of this motion are here to insist that the overwhelming evidence of the atrocities of Daesh [Islamic State] in Syria and Iraq is recognised for the genocide it is and is considered as such by the UN security council and the international criminal court. This will support similar resolutions of other leading international and legislative bodies.”

The United States Congress, the US administration, the European parliament and the Council of Europe have all declared the terror group’s treatment of the Yazidi community as genocide.

Mrs Bruce highlighted the crimes committed by IS, including the rape of children, the murder by crucifixion of Christians and the systematic violence perpetrated against religious minorities.

She recalled the eyewitness testimony of victims who had escaped form the clutches of IS, including that of a 15-year-old who was seized from her home. “At the age of 15, she saw her father and brother killed in front of her. She told of how every girl in her community over eight, including herself, was imprisoned and raped. She spoke of witnessing her friends being raped and hearing their screams, and of seeing a girl aged nine being raped by so many men that she died,” said Mrs Bruce.

Tobias Ellwood, the Foreign Office minister, said “we must ensure that Daesh is held to account for its barbaric crimes”, but that it was a matter for the courts and not politicians to decide.

Labour MP Rob Flello, who voted in favour, said it was “a wonderful result” that would ratchet up pressure on the Government.

But he said this was just the start: “We are going to make an approach again to the Prime Minister on a cross-party basis,” and “I’m hopeful that the Prime Minister will now put his action where his words have been in the past.”

Pressure is building for the Government to make an immediate referral to the UN Security Council with a view of bringing the perpetrators to justice in the International Criminal Court.