The Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday received in Erbil Mir Hazim Tahsin Beg, the spiritual leader of the Yezidis.

During their meeting, the two sides discussed the Yezidis' circumstances and the current situation in Sinjar district.

The Prime Minister reiterated the Kurdistan Region’s support for the Yezidis' rights and expectations. He also stressed the importance of implementing the Sinjar agreement and removal of militias in order to maintain peace and stability for the region’s residents.

The Yezidi Mir expressed his appreciation for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s continuous efforts to help and protect the Yezidis, as well as for the increasing role of the Yezidis in governmental institutions.

In Iraq, there are roughly 500,000 Yezidis, with over 70% of them living in camps in the Kurdistan region. Since the defeat of ISIS in 2017, Kurdish and Iraqi forces, with assistance from the US-led coalition, have rescued more than 3,500 Yezidis who were taken captive or enslaved by the extremist group.

The United Nations has recognized the heinous crimes against the Yezidi people as genocide.