Dutch court sentences women to 10 years in prison for enslavement of Yezidi women as member of ISIS

THE HAGUE — The ongoing pursuit of justice for the Yezidi Genocide committed by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014 continues to unfold in European courts. In a landmark ruling, a court in The Hague, Netherlands, sentenced a Dutch citizen of Moroccan origin to 10 years in prison for enslaving a Yezidi woman who was kidnapped during the ISIS attack on Shigur (Shengal / Sinjar) in Iraq’s Nineveh Plains.

The public prosecutor had initially requested an eight-year prison sentence, but the court extended the term to 10 years, citing the severity of the crimes.

The court’s verdict was grounded on four key charges: 1) Enslaving a Yezidi woman and forcing her to work in Syria, 2) Affiliation with the ISIS terrorist organization, 3) Participation in terrorist activities, and 4) Endangering the lives of her children by bringing them into conflict zones.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, the defendant maintained her innocence and expressed no remorse, which influenced the court’s decision to impose a harsher sentence.

Present at the court were the Yezidi survivor, who recounted her ordeal, and the defendant’s husband, who had coerced her into caring for their children and performing other tasks while enslaved.

This ruling highlights the continuing efforts to hold ISIS affiliates accountable for the atrocities committed against Yezidis and to deliver justice to survivors of genocide and enslavement.