German court sentences ISIS member to life in prison for crimes against Yazidis

On Tuesday, Taha A.-J. was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes against persons, human trafficking for labor exploitation, the murder of a five-year-old Yazidi girl, and membership in a foreign terrorist organization under Section 129b in Frankfurt. The ISIS member bought the five-year-old child and her mother as slaves and abused them so severely that the girl died of thirst while chained in the sun during a punitive action.

The Iraqi ISIS member had been standing trial before the Frankfurt State Protection Senate since April. The federal prosecution had demanded a life sentence and a finding of special gravity of guilt. Taha A.J. had the accusations rejected by his defense lawyers.

The child’s mother survived and took part in the proceedings as a joint plaintiff. She was awarded 50,000 euros in damages for pain and suffering.

Taha A.J.’s wife Jennifer W. had previously been sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment before the Munich Higher Regional Court for membership of a terrorist organization abroad, aiding and abetting attempted murder, attempted war crimes and crimes against humanity. Jennifer W. was involved in slaveholding by ISIS and, at the very least, stood idly by as the Yazidi toddler was chained in the blazing sun by W.’s husband and died of thirst. In addition, she was accused of patrolling as an ISIS morality police officer.