A Dutch court in The Hague has sentenced Hasna A., a 33-year-old woman from Hengelo, to 10 years in prison for her involvement with the Islamic State (ISIS) and the enslavement of a Yazidi woman in Syria.
Hasna A. traveled to Syria in 2015 with her four-year-old son and married an ISIS fighter. She was found guilty of “enslavement, membership of a terrorist organization, promoting terrorist crimes, and endangering her son.” The court revealed that she forced the Yazidi woman to perform household chores and care for her child while living with another ISIS fighter between May and October 2015.
This case highlights the atrocities committed against the Yazidi community by ISIS, which began its campaign of violence against the minority group in 2014. Thousands of Yazidi men were massacred, while women and girls were abducted and subjected to horrific abuse.
The court emphasized that Hasna A.’s actions contributed to the “widespread and systematic attack on the Yazidi community,” constituting a severe crime against humanity. Judges described these offenses as among the gravest international crimes.
In November 2022, Hasna A. was repatriated to the Netherlands from a Syrian prison camp, along with 11 other women and their 28 children. She was arrested upon arrival and faced trial for her crimes.