Daesh member tried in Sweden for using her son as a child soldier

Accused of having pushed her young son into the arms of the Islamic State group to make him a child soldier in Syria, a woman will be tried in Sweden for an aggravated war crime and violation of international law, the prosecution announced on Tuesday. Left for Syria in 2013, this 49-year-old woman – whose nationality has not been specified – is accused of having allowed the recruitment and then the use of her son, then aged 12, as a child soldier.

These are the first prosecutions launched in the country for war crimes linked to the use of a child soldier, according to the prosecution. “She is suspected of having caused her son to be recruited and used continuously in Syria between August 1, 2013 and May 27, 2016, when he was 15, to participate directly in hostilities led by armed groups, including the terrorist organization Islamic State, ”the prosecution said in a statement.

Left for Syria with her 5 children

The child died in 2017 in circumstances that were not specified. According to the elements of the investigation, “during the period he lived at home, the son was educated and trained to participate in hostilities, he was equipped with military equipment and military weapons, and he was used in combat. and for propaganda and other missions as part of the war effort, ”said prosecutor Reena Devgun. The woman, who returned to Sweden in 2020, denies the charges, according to local press. When she left for Syria, the accused took her five children with her, according to public television SVT.