Iraq's prime minister has said that the courts will decide if 16-year-old Linda W. should face the death penalty for her involvement with IS. The German teen ran away last summer after talking with extremists online.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
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After running away from her home in eastern Germany last summer to join the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) in Iraq, German teen Linda W.'s fate now rests in the hands of Iraq's courts, the country's prime minister said on Saturday.
German girl arrested in Mosul – Q & A with journalist Amir Musawy, who visited her
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Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in an interview with the Associated Press (AP) that the 16-year-old is currently being held in a Baghdad prison and that the Iraqi judiciary will determine whether she will face the death penalty.
"You know teenagers under certain laws, they are accountable for their actions especially if the act is a criminal activity when it amounts to killing innocent people," he said.
The teen was found in the basement of a home in Mosul by Iraqi forces in July during an offensive to drive the extremist group from the city.
Iraqi intelligence officials told AP that Linda W. allegedly worked with the IS group's police force.
The prime minister also said that Iraqi forces detained 1,333 women and children who surrendered to Kurdish forces.
Over 1,300 women and children who are relatives of IS militants are being kept in a camp outside MosulImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/B. Szlanko
Many of those who are detained at the camp are not guilty of any crime, al-Abadi said, adding that his government is communicating with their home countries to "find a way to hand them over."
"It is not in our interest to keep families and children inside our country when their countries are prepared to take them," al-Abadi said. So far, Iraq has repatriated fewer than 100 people.
Linda W. is being held in Baghdad along with hundreds of other foreign women with IS links who are suspected of carrying out terrorist attacks, Iraqi officials told AP.
The other non-Iraqi women include citizens from France, Belgium, Syria and Iran.
Teen radicalized online
Linda W., who was 15 when she fled her hometown in the eastern German state of Saxony, told journalists back in July that she regrets ever going to Iraq.
"I want to go home to my family," she said at the time. "I want to get out of the war, away from the weapons, the noise."
The teen was radicalized after communicating with IS extremists online.
Linda W. said it took her a month to travel to Turkey, through Syria and into Iraq to marry an IS fighter.
She said she was later "shipped" to Mosul and that her husband was killed shortly after they came to the city.
German prosecutors had previously warned that Linda W. could be put on trial in Iraq where she faces the death penalty if convicted of terrorism-related offenses.
Capital punishment does not exist in German law, but if tried in Germany, Linda W. could face a prison term between one to ten years.
Germany's Foreign Ministry previously said they were working on returning the teen and three other German women who were caught in Iraq, but there is currently no extradition treaty in place between the two countries.
rs/kl (AP)
What is the 'Islamic State'?
IS has gone from an obscure al-Qaida splinter group to a global phenomenon. DW takes a look at the defining aspects of the jihadi group — from its "caliphate" to its tactics.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Al-Furqan
Where did it come from?
The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Where does it operate?
IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.
Who is fighting back?
The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/H. Huseyin
How does it fund itself?
One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.
Image: Getty Images/J. Moore
Where does it carry out attacks?
IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Spingler
What other tactics does it use?
The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
How has it impacted the region?
IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild.
