Swedish Woman Sentenced for Genocide Against Yazidis: A Landmark Case

A Swedish court has convicted Lina Ishaq for her involvement in the genocide and war crimes against Yazidis during her time with ISIS in Syria. This ruling marks an unprecedented legal response to crimes committed by the jihadist group, contributing to ongoing discussions about justice for the Yazidi community.

A Swedish woman, Lina Ishaq, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for her role in genocidal acts and war crimes against the Yazidi community during her participation with the extremist group Islamic State (IS) in Syria. This conviction, which took place in Stockholm, is significant as it is the first instance of IS crimes against Yazidis being prosecuted in Sweden. Ishaq, 52, was found guilty of holding three Yazidi women and six Yazidi children as slaves in Raqqa from 2014 to 2016.

The court found that Ishaq played an active role in the systemic enslavement introduced by IS, forcing her captives to adhere to the Islamic faith by wearing veils and subjecting them to physical abuse. According to the presiding judge, Maria Ulfsdotter Klang, Ishaq demonstrated independent actions that directly contributed to the trafficking and depriving of liberty of the victims.

The Yazidi people, an ancient religious minority primarily located in the Sinjar region of northern Iraq, faced horrific violence at the hands of IS. In August 2014, IS initiated a brutal campaign against Yazidi settlements, resulting in the deaths of approximately 5,000 Yazidis and the displacement of over half a million individuals. Additionally, more than 6,000 Yazidi women and children were abducted and enslaved, suffering torture and sexual violence aimed at their cultural extermination as documented by the United Nations.

Originally born into a Christian family in Iraq, Ishaq moved to Sweden at a young age. After converting to Islam before her marriage, she became one of around 300 Swedes who joined IS in 2013. As IS began to falter, she fled Raqqa in 2017 and was later extradited back to Sweden in 2020. Currently, Sweden is home to about 6,000 Yazidis who have sought refuge from the violence in Iraq.

Dawood Khalaf, the chairman of the Yazidi association in Skaraborg, expressed hope that Ishaq's prosecution would foster a better relationship between the Yazidi community and Swedish authorities. He indicated that this case could encourage individuals from the community to come forward and offer testimony, alleviating previous fears of repercussions. Despite the ruling, Ishaq's lawyer, Mikael Westerlund, stated that she maintains her innocence and is contemplating an appeal.