Iraqi court sentences four SDF-delivered ISIS fighters to death

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced four alleged ISIS members to death, two months after they were transferred to Baghdad from the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) control.

The four Iraqi fighters admitted to belonging to the Islamic State and “carrying out criminal operations targeting innocent citizens to destabilize the security and stability of Iraq and Syria,” the statement issued by the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq read.

“The terrorists were tried by Iraqi courts after they were handed over by the Syrian Democratic Forces as they were wanted by the Iraqi judiciary,” the judiciary explained.

The death sentence was handed down “in accordance with the provisions of Article IV / 1 of the Anti-Terrorism Law No. 13 of 2005.”

The court did not release any detail about the background of the convicted, nor their identity, but they were among the hundreds of ISIS fighters the SDF arrestbed in the border town of Baghouz and handed to Iraqi authorities at the end of February.

Human rights groups have criticized inconsistencies in the judicial process and flawed, expedited trials in Iraq which may result in false convictions.

The Islamic State emerged in Iraq in 2014 and quickly occupied vast swaths of territory in the north. In late 2017, Iraq declared final victory against them, but the extremist group continues to launch insurgency attacks, ambushes, and kidnappings across the country.

Editing by Nadia Riva