Swedish Woman Sentenced to 12 Years for Enslaving Yazidis in Syria

Lina Ishaq convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes for her role in ISIS's persecution of Yazidis in 2015.

Lina Ishaq, a 52-year-old Swedish citizen, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for enslaving Yazidi women and children in Raqqa, Syria, in 2015.
The Stockholm District Court found her guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, and gross war crimes, marking Sweden's first case addressing ISIS crimes against Yazidis.
The victims were held as slaves, forced to perform domestic chores, convert to Islam, and were prepared for transfer to other ISIS members as property.
Ishaq's actions were part of ISIS's broader campaign of genocide and systematic enslavement targeting Yazidis, whose male relatives were often executed during the group's attacks.
The court reduced Ishaq's sentence from 16 years to 12, factoring in a prior conviction from 2022 for allowing her son to be recruited as a child soldier for ISIS.