Iraqi court sentences 15 Turkish women to death over joining IS group

Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) – An Iraqi criminal court sentenced on Sunday 15 Turkish women to death on charges of joining the Islamic State (IS) group, judicial sources were quoted as saying.

All the 15 Turkish women have admitted belonging to the IS group, AFP quoted the sources as saying.

The court sentenced another Turkish woman to life in jail, the sources added.

Last week, an Iraqi criminal court ordered deporting a French female jihadist to her country after serving a seven-year jail term.

Melina Bougedir was arrested last year in Mosul city along with her four children, three of whom have already been repatriated to France, as she stood trial for entering Iraq illegally.

Earlier this month, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in Baghdad that suspected jihadists should be tried in the countries where they committed their “crimes”, while reiterating France’s opposition to the death penalty.

Britain has also taken a firm stance against repatriation, as has Belgium which denied a request by one of its nationals to be sent home from Iraq in exchange for cooperating with the authorities.

Iraq in December declared victory against IS after a years-long battle to retake large swathes of territory the extremists had seized in 2014.

Several hundred foreigners, both men and women, are thought to have been detained in Iraq for alleged links to IS.