Media reports say an Iraqi court has sentenced 19 Russian women, four women from Tajikistan and six women from Azerbaijan to life in prison for joining ISIS terrorist group in the country.
According to Alwaght news website, Baghdad Central Criminal Court ruling determined on April 29 the women were guilty of “joining and supporting” ISIS.
Most of the women on trial, many accompanied by their children, claimed to have been misled into making the trip to Iraq.
Since declaring victory over ISIS in late 2017, Iraqi authorities have reportedly arrested more than 560 women and 600 children identified as either as members of the group or relatives of militants.
Experts estimate Iraq has detained more than 20,000 people over suspected ties to the group and has sentenced more than 300 people to death so far. Twelve ISIS widows were given the death penalty in February.
Iraq's anti-terrorism laws empower courts to convict people who are believed to have helped ISIS, even if they were not directly involved in fighting.
The Interior Ministry of Tajikistan noted in 2015 that154 Tajik families left Tajikistan for Syria and Iraq.
