Sweden Jails Female ISIS Affiliate for Enslaving Minorities in Syria
A Swedish court has sentenced a 52-year-old woman to 12 years in prison for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Lina Ishaq, a Swedish citizen, was convicted for enslaving Yazidi women and children in Syria in 2015 as part of ISIL’s campaign against the religious minority.
The court found that Ishaq had imprisoned nine Yazidi victims, including six children, for months. She restricted their movement, forced them to do household chores, and photographed some in preparation for transfer to other captors. Judges emphasized that the systematic enslavement of Yazidis was central to ISIL’s genocide. While initially sentenced to 16 years, her term was reduced to 12 due to a prior conviction.
In 2022, Ishaq was sentenced to six years for allowing her 12-year-old son to be recruited as a child soldier for ISIL. The UN recognizes the use of child soldiers under 15 as a war crime under international law.
Sweden has struggled to prosecute ISIL members due to a lack of laws criminalizing armed group membership at the time. Instead, prosecutors have pursued war crimes and crimes against humanity, which Swedish courts can prosecute even if committed abroad.
According to Swedish intelligence, around 300 Swedish residents, including 75 women, joined ISIL in Syria and Iraq between 2013 and 2014. Many have since returned, raising concerns about accountability.
Despite Ishaq’s conviction, Yazidi advocates argue that justice remains elusive. Thousands of Yazidis are still missing, and mass graves continue to be uncovered in Iraq. The case highlights efforts to hold ISIL members accountable for crimes against the Yazidi people, though much work remains to bring full justice to the victims.
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