Iraqi Couple Charged with War Crimes in Germany for Keeping and Abusing Yazidi Girls as Slaves

Berlin: Germany's federal prosecutor charged an Iraqi couple on Monday with enslavement, torture, and war crimes, accusing them of keeping two young Yazidi girls as slaves and subjecting them to sexual and physical abuse. The charges were filed after a detailed investigation into their actions during their time with the Islamic State group.

The couple, identified only as Twana H.S. and Asia R.A. due to German privacy laws, were arrested in Bavaria in April. The federal prosecutor's office stated that the couple had been active members of ISIS in Iraq and Syria between October 2015 and December 2017.

According to the charges, the couple allegedly enslaved a 5-year-old Yazidi girl in late 2015 and a 12-year-old girl from October 2017. Both girls were reportedly subjected to severe abuse and exploitation during their captivity under the couple's control.

Prosecutors alleged that the man raped both girls repeatedly and that the woman prepared the room and put makeup on one of the girls.

The couple also exerted “harsh physical violence” on the girls, who were prevented from practicing their own religion and coerced into household work and childcare, prosecutors said.

The man on one occasion allegedly hit the older girl with a broomstick, the woman is accused of scalding the younger girl’s hand with hot water and both children were repeatedly forced to stand on one leg for half an hour as punishment.

Before they left Syria in November 2017, the suspects handed the girls over to other members of IS, the prosecutor’s statement said.

“All of this served the organization’s objective to destroy the Yazidi religion,” the statement said.

(with agency inputs)