(Syriac Press) In a landmark ruling that underscores Europe’s growing pursuit of accountability for atrocities committed during the rise of the Islamic State, Sweden’s Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction of Lina Ishaq, a 52-year-old woman of Iraqi-Christian origin, for genocide, crimes against humanity, and serious war crimes against members of the Yazidi minority in Syria.
The decision confirms a February [2025] judgment by the Stockholm District Court that sentenced Ishaq to 12 years in prison. The case, one of the most significant of its kind tried in Europe, detailed Ishaq’s participation in the enslavement, abuse, and forced conversion of Yazidi women and children while living under ISIS rule in Raqqa, Syria.
According to court documents, Ishaq traveled from Sweden to Syria in 2013 with her family after embracing extremist ideology.
