The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) congratulates Nadia Murad on receiving this year’s Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, yesterday on December 10. Murad received the prominent peace prize along with Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege for “their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.”

Murad is an outspoken Yazidi activist against sexual violence and is herself a survivor of sexual slavery under the Islamic State. She is also an advocate for the Yazidi community and for issues pertaining to refugee and women’s rights. Moreover, Murad is the first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking for the United Nations.

Murad stressed in her acceptance speech that no person in Iraq has faced justice for the rape of Yazidi women and girls. “So far, the perpetrators of the crimes which led to this genocide have not been brought to justice. I do not seek more sympathy; I want to translate those feelings into actions on the ground,” she said.

The SCM commends Murad on her statements and reaffirms the urgent need for accountability and justice for survivors of sexual violence in Iraq, as well as in Syria. We also call for strong international action against such abuses, including sanctuary and reparations for survivors.