Dutch Woman on Trial: The Yazidi Enslavement Case

A Dutch woman named Hasna Aarab, 33, is standing trial in the Netherlands for crimes against humanity, accused of enslaving two Yazidi women between 2015 and 2016 while living in Syria. This trial marks only the second time an Islamic State member faces such charges in a Dutch court.

In a landmark case, Hasna Aarab, a Dutch national, faces trial in the Netherlands for alleged crimes against humanity, including the enslavement of two Yazidi women in Syria. The 33-year-old reportedly held them as domestic slaves from 2015 to 2016.

The Netherlands joins Germany as one of the few countries to prosecute alleged Islamic State members for atrocities committed against the Yazidis. During its years of control, the Islamic State viewed Yazidis as devil worshippers, killing thousands and enslaving many more.

Aarab also faces charges of membership in a terrorist organization and endangering her son by taking him to a war zone. Her trial is part of the broader effort to hold IS members accountable, leveraging Dutch universal jurisdiction laws.

(With inputs from agencies.)