Fact check: In June 2015, reports emerged — particularly from local activists and witnesses in Mosul, Iraq — that ISIS burned 19 Yazidi girls and women alive in iron cages in front of a crowd

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal mixed evidence regarding the specific claim of ISIS burning 19 Yazidi girls and women alive in iron cages in Mosul, Iraq, in June 2015. One source directly supports the claim, reporting that 19 Yazidi girls were burned to death in iron cages by Islamic State militants after refusing to have sex with their captors ^[1]. This source specifically confirms the incident occurred as described in the original statement.

However, the majority of sources analyzed do not directly mention this specific incident. Multiple UN and human rights sources confirm the broader pattern of ISIS genocide against Yazidis, including mass killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture, and inhuman treatment ^{[2] [3] [4]}. These sources establish the documented context of systematic atrocities committed by ISIS against the Yazidi community, but do not provide independent verification of the specific June 2015 burning incident.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks crucial broader context about the scale of ISIS crimes against Yazidis. The analyses reveal that this alleged incident was part of a much larger systematic campaign of genocide. UN investigations documented that ISIS committed genocide against Yazidis through killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture, and inhuman treatment ^{[3] [4]}.

The statement also omits the ongoing impact and unresolved nature of these crimes. Thousands of Yazidis remain missing, with likely hundreds indefinitely detained in north-east Syria, and there is an urgent need for international support to identify and return missing Yazidis ^[5]. The ten-year anniversary of the Yazidi genocide highlights calls for justice, accountability, and effective remedies for ISIS crimes ^[4].

Missing from the original statement is acknowledgment that while this specific incident was reported, it represents just one documented case among widespread patterns of sexual violence, persecution, and torture committed by ISIS ^[2]. The analyses show ISIS used torture, forced labor, and forced marriage as systematic tools of oppression ^[6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement presents the incident as definitively factual ("ISIS burned 19 Yazidi girls"), when the analyses show only one source directly confirms this specific incident ^[1], while multiple other authoritative sources on ISIS atrocities do not mention it specifically ^{[7] [6] [8]}. This suggests the claim may be less well-documented than the statement implies.

The statement's framing as coming from "local activists and witnesses" without mentioning verification by international bodies or multiple independent sources could be misleading about the level of confirmation. While the broader context of ISIS genocide against Yazidis is extensively documented by UN bodies and human rights organizations, this specific incident appears to have limited independent verification in the analyzed sources.

The statement also potentially sensationalizes one incident without acknowledging the systematic nature of ISIS crimes, which could inadvertently minimize the broader genocide by focusing on a single dramatic event rather than the documented patterns of widespread atrocities confirmed by multiple international investigations ^{[2] [3] [4]}.