STOCKHOLM— Swedish prosecutors have charged Lina Ishaq, a 52-year-old Swedish citizen, with crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes related to her actions in Syria between 2014 and 2016. This marks the first time Sweden has brought such serious charges in connection to crimes committed during the Syrian conflict.
Ishaq is accused of participating in the enslavement and inhumane treatment of Yazidi women and children while living in Raqqa, a city that was under the control of ISIS at the time. Prosecutors claim that she played a role in establishing ISIS’s rule and enslaving Yazidi civilians in her home. According to Prosecutor Reena Devgun, these civilians were subjected to severe suffering and forced labor, in violation of international law.
Ishaq, who returned to Sweden in 2020 and is already serving a prison sentence for other offences related to her time in Syria, denies the new charges. Her lawyer, Mikael Westerlund, has confirmed that she disputes the allegations.
Swedish law allows its courts to prosecute individuals for crimes committed abroad, including genocide and crimes against humanity. These crimes can include murder, rape, torture, and forced labor when part of systematic attacks on civilians. In a related case, Ishaq was previously found guilty in 2022 of war crimes and violating international law for allowing her 12-year-old son to be recruited as a child soldier by ISIS during their time in Raqqa.