Iraq sentences 15 Turkish women to death for joining IS
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 25 February 2018 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraq sentences 15 Turkish women to death for joining IS, 25 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b20dcb84.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 25, 2018 16:06 GMT
An Iraqi court has sentenced 15 Turkish women to death after finding them guilty of joining the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
The criminal court on February 25 also sentenced another Turkish woman to life for joining the group.
Judge Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar said the court issued the sentences "after it was proven they belong to the [IS] terrorist group and after they confessed to marrying [IS] elements or providing members of the group with logistical aid or helping them carry out terrorist attacks."
Iraq has detained at least 560 women and 600 children identified as militants or relatives of IS fighters.
In January, a court sentenced a German woman to death on charges of providing logistical support to IS militants, and a Turkish woman was, earlier in February, also handed the death penalty.
Human Rights Watch denounced the rulings as "unfair."
The Iraqi government declared military victory over IS militants in December, after expelling the group from all major urban centers they had held in northern and western Iraq since 2014.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
