An Iraqi court has sentenced one of the wives of the late Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, to death. The court found her complicit in crimes against Yazidi women captured by the militant group, the country’s judiciary announced on Wednesday.
This decision comes just weeks before the 10-year mark of the Islamic State’s (IS) brutal attacks on the Yazidi religious minority in the northern Iraqi region of Sinjar. Starting in early August 2014, IS killed and captured thousands of Yazidis, including women and girls who were subjected to human trafficking and sexual abuse. The United Nations has declared the campaign against the Yazidis amounted to genocide.
The Karkh Criminal Court in Iraq handed down the death sentence to the woman for her role in “detaining Yazidi women in her home” and facilitating their kidnapping by “the terrorist (Islamic State group) gangs in Sinjar district.” This ruling was issued in accordance with Iraq’s anti-terrorism law and its “Yazidi survivors law,” as stated by Iraq’s judicial council.
Although the statement did not name the defendant, two court officials identified her as Asma Mohammed, who was arrested in 2018 in Turkey and later extradited. Another wife of al-Baghdadi and his daughter were also extradited from Turkey to Iraq and sentenced to life in prison for their involvement. The sentences were handed down a week ago but were announced by the judicial council on Wednesday.
Officials provided this information on the condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak publicly. Survivors of IS attacks in Iraq have expressed concerns about the lack of accountability and transparency in the judicial process.
This decision, made at the request of the Iraqi government, represents a significant move in holding those involved in IS crimes accountable, including the alleged use of chemical weapons against the Yazidis.
The ruling underscores the ongoing efforts to achieve justice for the Yazidi community and address the atrocities committed during IS’s reign of terror. The international community continues to watch closely as Iraq navigates its judicial process in dealing with the remnants of IS’s leadership and those complicit in its crimes.
The Associated Press
