The Netherlands Public Prosecution Service is demanding a 10-year prison sentence on appeal against a 34-year-old woman from Hengelo. She is accused of forcing a Yazidi woman into slavery in Syria. This is considered a crime against humanity. This marks the first time in the Netherlands that someone is being prosecuted on appeal for such charges.
In 2015 the Dutch defendant traveled to Syria with her 4-year-old son to join the Islamic State (IS). She lived for several years in IS-controlled areas in Syria and Iraq. She married a IS fighter and lived in various locations within the caliphate. In a house where the suspect resided while her husband was away, a Yazidi woman named Z. was kept as a slave. The defendant enslaved this woman, forced her to perform heavy household tasks and care for the defendant's son. The defendant labeled the woman as a "non-believer" and forced her to pray.
In several criminal cases across Europe, crimes committed against the Yazidis, including slavery, have been classified as crimes against humanity.
In addition to using the victim as a slave, the defendant is also accused of participating in IS and by preparing and promoting crimes with a terrorist objective of IS. The fourth allegation against the defendant is the endangerment of her minor son and persistently leaving him in this situation. The Court in The Hague sentenced the defendant to a prison term of ten years in December 2024.
APPEAL
The case is being heard on appeal by the International Crimes Chamber of the Court of Appeal The Hague.
In the appeal the Public Prosecution Service and the advocates of Z. have advocated for compensation to be awarded to the victim from Iraq. In addition to the criminal charges, the Court of Appeal must rule on this matter. Since the slavery-related offenses took place in Syria, Syrian civil law must be applied in relation to the issue of compensation. Reports on Syrian civil law have been appended to the case files. Prior to the substantive hearings this week, all parties submitted their positions regarding the awarding of compensation. In addition to the prison sentence, the Public Prosecution Service wants the defendant to pay the victim a compensation amount of 30.000 euros.