In February, appeal hearings were held in the Netherlands in the case of Hasna A., a Dutch national of Moroccan origin who joined ISIS in 2015. The proceedings before the District Court of The Hague have become an important test of European states’ willingness to hold their own nationals accountable for crimes committed under the so-called Islamic State.
In 2015, Hasna A. travelled from the Netherlands to Syria with her four-year-old child to join ISIS. During her time in ISIS-controlled territory in Syria and later Iraq, she lived within and contributed to the structure of the organization. In the first instance, she was convicted of membership in a terrorist organization, endangering her underage child by taking him to a war zone, and enslaving an Ezidi woman while under ISIS control. After being transferred from the Al-Hol camp in northeast Syria to the Netherlands, she was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment. She appealed the decision, and a final verdict is expected on March 25.
During the appeal hearings, the court examined evidence concerning her affiliation with ISIS, an internationally recognized terrorist organization. It was stated that she gave birth to three children with one of the group’s members while living in ISIS-held territory. The proceedings also addressed evidence related to the enslavement of an Ezidi woman. Testimonies presented before the court described how Ezidi women were beaten, coerced, and treated as servants or property while under ISIS control.
For Ezidi survivors who attended the hearings, the atmosphere in the courtroom was heavy and emotionally charged. When accounts of torture and enslavement were read aloud, many sat in silence. For them, the legal terminology used in court was not abstract; it reflected lived experiences. The recognition of “enslavement” in a European courtroom carried particular significance, given the systematic and targeted nature of ISIS crimes against the Ezidi people.
During the sessions, the defendant denied all charges. Survivors present expressed concern that this denial did not reflect the gravity of the acts described in testimony. They reported no visible acknowledgment of responsibility or empathy toward victims. The hearings were described by attendees as deeply painful and psychologically difficult, reopening wounds that remain far from healed.
The ten-year sentence imposed in first instance has generated anger and dissatisfaction among many Ezidis. Survivors argue that crimes committed against kidnapped Ezidis, including enslavement, sexual violence, and participation in a system built on terror; warrant life imprisonment or the maximum penalties available under international law. A decade in prison, they say, appears disproportionate to the scale of suffering inflicted.
At the same time, the trial itself carries undeniable symbolic weight. Even if the sentence is viewed as insufficient, the proceedings send a message that what ISIS committed against the Ezidis constitutes grave criminal conduct. The acknowledgment that enslavement occurred, and that it is punishable under European law; affirms that such acts are neither forgotten nor beyond accountability.
While some European states have begun prosecuting returning ISIS affiliates, accountability remains uneven. Other countries, including Iraq; must continue strengthening their legal frameworks to ensure that prosecutions reflect the full scope of ISIS crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, and enslavement. Survivors hope that one day similar proceedings will be consistently conducted in Iraq, allowing justice to be seen and trusted at home.
As the final verdict approaches, the Hasna A. appeal stands as more than a Dutch national criminal case. It forms part of a wider global reckoning with the legacy of ISIS. For the Ezidi people, justice is not only about the length of a sentence. It is about recognition, accountability, and the reaffirmation that crimes of enslavement and persecution; committed because of religious identity will not be met with impunity.
