(Brussels Times) A Brussels court has found Belgian jihadi Sammy Djedou guilty of genocide against the Yazidi minority in Iraq and Syria, marking a historic first for the country.
Djedou, a former Islamic State fighter, was long believed to have been killed in Syria after the Pentagon reported his death. But with no official confirmation ever reaching Belgian authorities, he was tried in absentia in Belgium’s first case involving mass atrocities committed against the Yazidi community.
The court ruled that Djedou was guilty of genocide for his role from 2014 onwards in IS’s campaign to wipe out the Yazidis. He was also convicted of crimes against humanity, including the rape and sexual enslavement of Yazidi women.
