On July 13, 2026, Munich's Higher Regional Court sentenced Twana H.S., 45, to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, active membership of a terrorist organisation, and the repeated rape of children. His former wife, Asia R.A., received a youth sentence of nine-and-a-half years for her role in the enslavement and abuse.
Background of the Crimes
Twana had lived in Germany before joining ISIS, later meeting and marrying Asia in their territory. By late 2015, at Asia’s personal request, Twana purchased a young five-year-old Yazidi girl at a slave market in Mosul. In October 2017, they acquired a second girl, aged 12.
Details of Abuse
The victims were forced to perform housework and care for the couple’s children while being forbidden from practising their Yazidi faith. Instead, they were compelled to follow strict Islamic rules. Prosecutors and the court heard harrowing evidence that Twana repeatedly raped both girls. Asia actively prepared the room for the assaults and even applied makeup to one victim. Beatings were routine, often with hard objects such as a broom handle. On one occasion, Asia scalded the younger girl’s hand with boiling hot water.
Genocidal Campaign
The systematic cruelty was designed to destroy the Yazidi religious community, part of ISIS’s genocidal campaign against the minority that began with the 2014 Sinjar massacre. One of the now-adult survivors attended the trial and broke down in tears as the sentences were read. In testimony read by the presiding judge, Philipp Stoll, she said: “Even dogs were worth more than us. My whole childhood was nothing but suffering.”
Aftermath and Legal Proceedings
The fate of the younger girl remains unknown after the couple handed both victims over to other ISIS fighters before fleeing Syria in November 2017. The pair returned to Germany and were arrested in Bavaria in April 2024. Twana had prior convictions in Germany for ISIS-related offences, including a 2019 sentence for terrorist membership. The Munich trial proceeded under the principle of universal jurisdiction for international crimes.
Reactions and Evidence
Yazidi advocates have welcomed the outcome as long-overdue justice, though thousands of community members remain missing or enslaved. The UN has recognised ISIS atrocities against Yazidis as genocide. The court described the violence as “monstrous” and “beyond humanity”. Asia expressed remorse in her final words, saying: “I’m sorry.” Twana remained silent. Investigative findings revealed that authorities recovered tens of thousands of text messages from Asia’s phone defending the slave trade, while evidence emerged that Twana had stolen his brother's identity to evade detection when re-entering Europe.
