An Iraqi court has sentenced Asma Mohammed, the first wife of late Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, to death for her purported role in the terror outfit, including the detention of Yazidi women.
“The criminal court today sentenced Baghdadi‘s wife to death by hanging for crimes against humanity and genocide against the Yazidi people and also for contributing to terrorism actions,” a court official who declined to go on record as he is not authorised to talk to the media told Reuters on July 10.
The Karkh Criminal Court in Iraq convicted Mohammed, also known as Umm Hudaifa, after she was accused of collaborating with IS and participating in the abduction and enslavement of Yazidi women. The Supreme Judicial Council confirmed the sentencing, marking a significant legal step against individuals linked to the notorious jihadist group.
Mohammed, who denied involvement in IS atrocities during a recent BBC interview, was married to Baghdadi during his reign over IS-controlled territories in Iraq and Syria. Following IS’s military defeat in 2019, US forces raided Baghdadi’s hideout in northwest Syria, where he died after detonating an explosive vest to avoid capture.
Two of Baghdadi’s wives were killed in a subsequent shootout, while Mohammed had been detained in southern Turkey under a false identity since 2018. According to BBC, United Nations investigators have documented widespread atrocities committed by IS, including genocide against the Yazidi religious minority, who were subjected to systematic violence, including mass killings, enslavement, and sexual abuse.
The international community has condemned these actions as war crimes. Mohammed’s case points to Iraq’s legal efforts to prosecute individuals associated with terrorism-related activities. Human rights groups, however, have criticized Iraq’s judicial system for alleged procedural flaws, including rushed trials and confessions obtained under duress.
(With agency inputs)
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