Swedish Woman Suspected for Crimes Against the Ezidi People

Stockholm – 25 January 2024

A Swedish National – previously sentenced for enlisting her son into ISIS – is now suspected for crimes against the Ezid people

In a shocking development, a 51-year-old woman from Western Sweden is now facing serious allegations of war crimes, including genocide, committed in the Syrian city of Raqqa. The woman, who has ties to the terrorist group ISIS, was previously convicted in 2022 for aiding her son’s recruitment as a child soldier within ISIS ranks. The woman was given a 6 years long sentence in 2022 but is now being accused with new allegations.

The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, has been linked to the violent Islamist terrororganisation since the turn of the millennium. She was sentenced to six years in prison for facilitating her son’s enlistment into ISIS at the age of twelve. This alarming case sheds light on the dire consequences of individuals becoming entangled in extremist ideologies, especially within conflict zones like Syria and Iraq.

The current (new) investigation spans the period from August 2014 to December 2016, during which the woman is suspected of committing atrocities against the Ezidi minority. Ezidi have been subjected to horrific persecution by ISIS, including mass killings, sexual violence, and enslavement.

Raqqa, once proclaimed as the capital of the ISIS caliphate, bore witness to some of the most heinous acts perpetrated by the terrorist group. In her defence, the accused claims that she was deceived by the children’s father into traveling to Syria. However, the Stockholm District Court, in its 2022 verdict, concluded that she was fully aware of her destination when she took her children to Syria.

Following the collapse of the ISIS caliphate, the woman was apprehended by Kurdish forces and detained in camps. Nevertheless, she managed to escape and returned to Sweden in 2020. Despite vehemently denying the charges against her, she now faces the prospect of being remanded into custody once again.

The upcoming hearing at the Stockholm District Court underscores the gravity of the accusations leveled against the woman. As the international community continues to grapple with the aftermath of ISIS’s reign of terror, cases like these serve as stark reminders of the urgent need to hold perpetrators of war crimes and genocide accountable for their actions.

Ezidi Times is closely follow the case and will provide more updates when the trial commences at the Swedish Court.