Sweden Charges Woman with War Crimes Against Yazidis

A 52-year-old Swedish woman, Lina Laina Ishaq, has been charged with genocide, crimes against humanity, and serious war crimes for allegedly torturing Yazidi women and children in Syria while associated with the IS group, VOA reported yesterday. This marks the first case of its kind to be prosecuted in Sweden.

The charges stem from actions taken between August 2014 and December 2016 in Raqqa, IS’s former stronghold. Prosecutor Reena Devgun stated that Ishaq is accused of detaining Yazidi women and children in her home, subjecting them to severe suffering and torture, and depriving them of fundamental rights based on cultural, religious, and gender grounds.

The indictment alleges that these acts aimed to “completely or partially annihilate” the Yazidi ethnic group, constituting violations of international law. In 2014, IS militants abducted thousands of Yazidis, forcing women into sexual slavery and indoctrinating boys.

Ishaq had previously been convicted in Sweden for taking her young son to IS-controlled territory in 2014. Following her capture by Syrian Kurdish forces and extradition to Sweden, she is now set to face trial starting October 7, expected to last about two months, with many proceedings held behind closed doors.