Lina Ishaq, a 52-year-old Swedish woman, has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars for her involvement in the genocide against the Yazidi people while part of the Islamic State in Syria.
Swedish Woman Sentenced to 12 Years for Genocide Against Yazidis
Swedish Woman Sentenced to 12 Years for Genocide Against Yazidis
A Swedish court has convicted Lina Ishaq for war crimes during her time with Islamic State, marking a historic judgement in Sweden.
In a landmark legal decision, a district court in Stockholm found Ishaq guilty of holding Yazidi women and children as slaves between 2014 and 2016. This trial marks the first significant international legal action against IS crimes targeting the Yazidi minority in Sweden.
Ishaq, who moved to Syria with her family in 2013 to join IS, was previously charged for taking her young son to a war zone and allegedly allowing her other son to be recruited as a child soldier, resulting in his death in 2017 at the age of 16. While in captivity, the Yazidi victims were forced to adhere to Islamic customs, including wearing veils, and faced physical abuse.
Presiding Judge Maria Ulfsdotter Klang emphasized that Ishaq played an active role in the extensive system of enslavement instituted by IS, harming her victims and facilitating their further trafficking.
The Yazidis, an ancient religious minority predominantly located in Iraq's Sinjar region, suffered severely under IS's genocide campaign, which began in August 2014. Reports indicate that thousands were killed, with countless others displaced and subjected to abduction and sexual violence.
Born in Iraq to a Christian family, Ishaq relocated to Sweden as a child and later converted to Islam. She was one of approximately 300 Swedish citizens who traveled to join IS. Following the fall of IS's territorial rule in 2017, Ishaq escaped to Turkey before being extradited to Sweden in 2020.
The case has garnered attention from the Yazidi community in Sweden, fostering trust between them and local authorities according to community leaders. Dawood Khalaf, chairman of the Yazidi association in Skaraborg, noted that subsequent legal actions have encouraged victims to come forward, overcoming fears of reprisal or association with IS.
Ishaq's lawyer, Mikael Westerlund, stated that they deny all charges and are contemplating an appeal.
As the verdict reflects an ongoing effort to address atrocities committed by IS, Sweden remains a refuge for around 6,000 Yazidis, continuing to heal from the aftermath of these horrific events.
Ishaq, who moved to Syria with her family in 2013 to join IS, was previously charged for taking her young son to a war zone and allegedly allowing her other son to be recruited as a child soldier, resulting in his death in 2017 at the age of 16. While in captivity, the Yazidi victims were forced to adhere to Islamic customs, including wearing veils, and faced physical abuse.
Presiding Judge Maria Ulfsdotter Klang emphasized that Ishaq played an active role in the extensive system of enslavement instituted by IS, harming her victims and facilitating their further trafficking.
The Yazidis, an ancient religious minority predominantly located in Iraq's Sinjar region, suffered severely under IS's genocide campaign, which began in August 2014. Reports indicate that thousands were killed, with countless others displaced and subjected to abduction and sexual violence.
Born in Iraq to a Christian family, Ishaq relocated to Sweden as a child and later converted to Islam. She was one of approximately 300 Swedish citizens who traveled to join IS. Following the fall of IS's territorial rule in 2017, Ishaq escaped to Turkey before being extradited to Sweden in 2020.
The case has garnered attention from the Yazidi community in Sweden, fostering trust between them and local authorities according to community leaders. Dawood Khalaf, chairman of the Yazidi association in Skaraborg, noted that subsequent legal actions have encouraged victims to come forward, overcoming fears of reprisal or association with IS.
Ishaq's lawyer, Mikael Westerlund, stated that they deny all charges and are contemplating an appeal.
As the verdict reflects an ongoing effort to address atrocities committed by IS, Sweden remains a refuge for around 6,000 Yazidis, continuing to heal from the aftermath of these horrific events.
