Five years after the adoption of the YSL, Zozan Saeed and Bojan Gavrilovic reflect on what the law has achieved—and where it has fallen short. In this question-swap conversation, they trace the origins and development of the legislation, highlighting the role of civil society mobilization, key political windows of opportunity, and the drafting of the YSL’s bylaws.
They unpack how the law works in practice, walking listeners through the application, review, and appeals processes, as well as the delivery of reparations. The discussion revisits the initial enthusiasm surrounding the law’s passage and its early accomplishments, while also confronting missed opportunities and ongoing setbacks.
The episode also takes on deeper structural questions: What are the risks of linking reparations to criminal accountability? What happens when institutional capacity cannot keep pace with legal ambition? And how should we understand Sinjar—not only as a spiritual homeland, but also as a genocide crime scene?
Along the way, they explore broader themes including the right to truth, the possibilities and limits of reconciliation, and the challenges of translating justice frameworks into meaningful change on the ground.
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Download the episode transcript in English, Arabic and Kurdish.
