Sweden charges a woman with war crimes for allegedly torturing Yazidi women and children in Syria

Swedish Woman Charged with Genocide and War Crimes Against Yazidi Women and Children

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Swedish authorities have charged a 52-year-old woman associated with the Islamic State group with genocide, crimes against humanity, and serious war crimes against Yazidi women and children in Syria. This marks the first trial of its kind in Sweden, highlighting the country’s commitment to addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Background

The accused, Lina Laina Ishaq, is a Swedish citizen who allegedly committed these crimes between August 2014 and December 2016 in Raqqa, the former de facto capital of the Islamic State group’s self-proclaimed caliphate. Raqqa was home to approximately 300,000 people during that time.

The crimes occurred under the rule of the Islamic State group, and this trial represents the first time that IS attacks against the Yazidi minority have been tried in Sweden. The Yazidis are one of Iraq’s oldest religious minorities.

Charges and Prosecution

According to senior prosecutor Reena Devgun, the accused is charged with holding nine people, including children, in her Raqqa home for up to seven months and treating them as slaves. The prosecution claims that she subjected them to severe suffering, torture, and other inhumane treatment, depriving them of their fundamental rights for cultural, religious, and gender reasons.

The charge sheet also alleges that Ishaq molested a one-month-old baby by covering its mouth to silence it when it cried. Additionally, she is suspected of selling people to the Islamic State group, knowing the risks they faced, including death and serious sexual abuse.

Ishaq’s lawyer, Mikael Westerlund, denies the accusations on behalf of his client, stating that she never bought, owned, or controlled another person.

Identification and Trial

The prosecutors were able to identify Ishaq through information provided by the U.N. team investigating atrocities in Iraq, known as UNITAD. The Stockholm District Court has scheduled her trial to begin on October 7 and last approximately two months. However, a significant portion of the trial will be held behind closed doors.

This is not the first legal encounter for Ishaq in Sweden. She was previously convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for taking her 2-year-old son to Syria in 2014, to an area then controlled by the Islamic State group. She had claimed that she and her son were going on a holiday to Turkey but crossed into Syria and entered IS-run territory.

In 2017, as the Islamic State group’s reign began to collapse, Ishaq fled from Raqqa and was captured by Syrian Kurdish troops. She later escaped to Turkey, where she was arrested with her son and two other children she had given birth to during her time in IS-run territory. She was subsequently extradited from Turkey to Sweden.

Emphasizing the SDGs

This trial in Sweden highlights the country’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. By holding individuals accountable for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, Sweden is contributing to the global effort to promote peace, justice, and the rule of law.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues Highlighted in the Article

• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The issues highlighted in the article include crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes, and violations of human rights. These issues are connected to the SDGs mentioned above, which aim to promote gender equality, decent work, reduced inequalities, peace, justice, and strong institutions, and partnerships for achieving sustainable development.

2. Specific Targets Based on the Article’s Content

• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
• Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
• Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources.

The article highlights the need to address violence against women and girls, forced labor, human trafficking, social and economic inclusion, and the reduction of violence. These targets align with the specific issues discussed in the article.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article

• Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months.
• Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group.
• Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by sex, age, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 16.1.1: Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population, by sex and age group.
• Indicator 17.16.1: Number of countries that have national development plans to support the sustainable development goals, including localizing the goals at the national and subnational levels.

The article implies the need to measure the proportion of women and girls subjected to violence, the engagement of children in child labor, the proportion of people living below a certain income threshold, the number of intentional homicide victims, and the existence of national development plans supporting the SDGs. These indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: apnews.com