In a significant step towards justice, Lina Ishaq, a 52-year-old Swedish woman, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of genocide and war crimes against the Yazidi people during her time with the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. The Stockholm District Court determined that Ishaq held three Yazidi women and six children as slaves in Raqqa from 2014 to 2016. This case marks the first trial in Sweden regarding IS's atrocities against Yazidis, a religious minority in Iraq.
Swedish Woman Sentenced to 12 Years for Enslaving Yazidis under ISIS Regime
Swedish Woman Sentenced to 12 Years for Enslaving Yazidis under ISIS Regime
A landmark ruling in Sweden addresses war crimes committed by Islamic State against Yazidis.
Ishaq, who relocated her family to Syria in 2013, was already serving sentences for taking her young son to the war zone and for not preventing the recruitment of her eldest son into IS, who died in 2017. The court revealed disturbing details of Ishaq's actions while enslaving her victims, including forcing them to wear veils, practicing Islam, and subjecting them to physical abuse. Judge Maria Ulfsdotter Klang denounced Ishaq's involvement, stating, "She was part of the large-scale enslavement system which IS introduced for Yazidi women and children."
Since the IS-led attacks in August 2014, over 5,000 Yazidis have been killed and about 400,000 have been displaced, with thousands more subjected to captivity and enslavement. The UN has characterized IS's actions as a campaign aimed at eradicating the Yazidi population through torture and sexual violence.
Born to a Christian family in Iraq and raised in Sweden, Ishaq had converted to Islam before her marriage and became part of the wave of about 300 Swedes who joined IS. Following the decline of the IS caliphate, she fled to Turkey in 2017 and was extradited back to Sweden in 2020. The Yazidi community in Sweden, numbering roughly 6,000, has expressed relief at the judicial outcome, with local leaders noting that the prosecution has fostered cooperation between the Yazidi community and Swedish authorities.
Ishaq's lawyer, Mikael Westerlund, stated that she continues to deny the charges and may consider appealing the court's decision.
The trial highlights the ongoing need for accountability in the face of brutal war crimes and the holistic integration of affected communities within Sweden's justice system.
Since the IS-led attacks in August 2014, over 5,000 Yazidis have been killed and about 400,000 have been displaced, with thousands more subjected to captivity and enslavement. The UN has characterized IS's actions as a campaign aimed at eradicating the Yazidi population through torture and sexual violence.
Born to a Christian family in Iraq and raised in Sweden, Ishaq had converted to Islam before her marriage and became part of the wave of about 300 Swedes who joined IS. Following the decline of the IS caliphate, she fled to Turkey in 2017 and was extradited back to Sweden in 2020. The Yazidi community in Sweden, numbering roughly 6,000, has expressed relief at the judicial outcome, with local leaders noting that the prosecution has fostered cooperation between the Yazidi community and Swedish authorities.
Ishaq's lawyer, Mikael Westerlund, stated that she continues to deny the charges and may consider appealing the court's decision.
The trial highlights the ongoing need for accountability in the face of brutal war crimes and the holistic integration of affected communities within Sweden's justice system.
