Swedish woman jailed for enslaving Yazidis in Syria

Tuesday 11 February 2025 - 15:10

A Swedish woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Swedish court for genocide, crimes against humanity, and serious war crimes. The case marks Sweden's first trial related to crimes committed by ISIL (ISIS) against the Yazidi minority in Syria.

Lina Ishaq, a 52-year-old Swedish citizen, was found guilty of keeping Yazidi women and children as slaves in her home in Syria in 2015. Her actions were part of a broader campaign by ISIL targeting the Kurdish-speaking Yazidi population, who have faced centuries of persecution. The court’s statement revealed that Ishaq held the victims as her property for several months, restricting their movements and forcing them to perform chores. Some were also photographed in preparation for being sold to others.

The court described the systematic enslavement of the Yazidis as one of ISIL’s critical elements in its campaign against the community. While Ishaq was sentenced to 16 years, the court reduced the sentence to 12 years after considering her prior conviction.

Ishaq is already serving a six-year sentence for allowing her 12-year-old son to join ISIL as a child soldier.

Despite this conviction, reporters note that the justice for Yazidis remains inadequate, with thousands still missing and many bodies yet to be identified.

Sweden's intelligence service reported that around 300 Swedish residents, including women, joined ISIL in Syria and Iraq between 2013 and 2014. At the time, Swedish law did not specifically address the prosecution of individuals for joining terrorist organizations, so prosecutors pursued charges based on other crimes.

The use of child soldiers under the age of 15 is prohibited by international law and classified as a war crime by the International Criminal Court.