Swedish Court Upholds 12-Year Sentence for Woman in IS-Related Genocide Case

For the first time, a Swedish appellate court has reviewed crimes committed against the Yazidi minority by the Islamic State (IS), upholding a 12-year prison sentence for Lina Ishaq. The ruling confirms the earlier decision of the district court, which found Ishaq guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity involving Yazidi women and children.

The court determined that Ishaq had unlawfully detained several Yazidi women and children, compelling them to perform domestic tasks, participate in religious indoctrination, and engage in prayer, all as part of the IS-imposed slavery system. These offenses primarily took place in 2015 while she resided in Raqqa, Syria.

Although the prosecution sought a life sentence, the appellate court clarified that such a penalty is typically reserved for individuals who played a leading or organizing role in major atrocities, such as orchestrating mass killings. In this case, the court concluded that Ishaq did not have a sufficiently significant position within IS to warrant a life sentence, but her actions were nonetheless deemed to have caused severe suffering to her victims.

The investigation revealed that Ishaq joined the Islamic State in Syria in 2013, traveling from western Sweden with her family. She maintained that she was coerced into traveling by her husband. Over the following years, her husband and three sons died, and in 2020, Ishaq returned to Sweden with her two daughters. She was previously convicted and sentenced to six years in prison for war crimes, including forcing her son to become a child soldier for IS, resulting in his death in combat at age 16 in 2017.

Further evidence gathered during the investigation, with assistance from the United Nations investigation team in Iraq (UNITAD), identified additional victims. Witnesses recognized Ishaq and recounted being held captive in her household, which led to charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. The district court in Stockholm found that Ishaq had held six minor children and three adult women captive in her home. Despite the severity of the offenses, the 12-year sentence took into account her existing sentence for earlier war crimes.

The court found Ishaq guilty of forcing the Yazidi victims to adopt Islamic practices, severely restricting their freedom of movement, subjecting them to physical abuse and degrading treatment, and exposing them to IS propaganda showing executions of Yazidis. Some victims were transferred to other IS members. Ishaq was also ordered to pay significant damages to each of the eight identified victims.

The Yazidis, an ancient religious minority in Syria and Iraq, have suffered extreme persecution and violence at the hands of IS. The court's decision marks a notable step in applying genocide conventions to protect vulnerable populations, especially children, within Swedish jurisdiction.