First Case of Genocide Against the Ezidis in Sweden

A Swedish national named Lina Ishaq is accused of having nine Ezidi children and women in her home in Raqqa, Syria between 2014 and 2016.¹ The woman denies the charges, which are related to events that occurred when Raqqa was under ISIS control.

She faces charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The woman is in her fifties and is already imprisoned after being sentenced to six years in 2022 for severe war crimes related to her role in making her son a child soldier for ISIS. The woman’s defence attorney has stated that she denies the charges.

In 2014, ISIS began a campaign of what many, including the UN, have recognised as genocide against the Ezidi people, using methods like capturing and enslaving thousands of Ezidi women and girls. These actions have left deep wounds that will affect Ezidi families for generations. This case is of historic importance since it is first time an individual is being prosecuted for the crime of genocide against the Ezidi people in Sweden. The victims currently live outside Sweden.

Genocide is defined as the deliberate attempt to destroy a national, ethnic, religious, or racial group. This can include acts like murder, infliction of severe harm, or rape, which can prevent the affected group from continuing.