Iraqi court sentences 19 Russian women to life for supporting ISIS
19 Russian women were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Iraqi court for participating in activities of the extremist “Islamic State,” an Agence France-Presse [AFP] journalist reported.
According to the AFP journalist who was in attendance during the court session, the Chief of the Central Criminal Court of Baghdad found all 19 women guilty of “joining and supporting ‘ISIL.’”
Six women from Azerbaijan and four from Tajikistan were also sentenced to life imprisonment on the same charges. All convicted have the right to appeal against judgments.
In December 2017, Iraq announced an end to the war with the “Islamic State.” At least 560 women and 600 children have been detained in Iraq for suspected involvement with “ISIL” militants.
According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 50 to 70 Russian women may currently be in Iraqi prisons. These women are all suspected of cooperating with terrorists.