After 11 Years in Captivity, Yezidi Survivor Reham Haji Hami Reunites with Family and Speaks Out
Yezidi woman, abducted at 9, freed after 11 yrs in captivity. Reham Haji Hami, held in al-Hol camp, resisted indoctrination by al-Baghdadi's family. Reunited with family. 'I never dreamed I'd see them again.'
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – After spending eleven long years in captivity, Reham Haji Hami, an Yezidi woman abducted by ISIS at the age of nine, has finally returned to her family and regained her freedom. She was recently rescued from al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Western Kurdistan), where she had been held by ISIS-affiliated groups.
Abducted as a Child, Held for Over a Decade
Reham was taken along with her sister, five brothers, and other relatives when ISIS militants stormed the town of Khanasour in the Sinjar region in 2014. Speaking to Kurdistan24 after her liberation, Reham recounted her years of captivity and the trauma she endured, including a period during which she was forced to live in the home of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s wife.
“I stayed with the wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi for almost seven months,” Reham told Kurdistan24. “At the end, Baghdadi himself told me that he wanted to own me and make me his daughter, but that I had to forget my origin, my religion, everything about being Yezidi.”
Forced Indoctrination and Silent Resistance
Reham resisted the attempts to erase her identity, despite the psychological pressure and coercion she faced. “I refused all of it, but they forced it on me,” she said. “Now I am happy and at peace, because after 12 years, I am reunited with my brothers, sisters, my mother, and father.”
She added: “I never imagined this would happen. I used to only dream of seeing my family again.”
Reham extended deep gratitude to the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), the all-female Kurdish force that rescued her and facilitated her reunion with her family.
Memories Clouded by Time
Though overjoyed to be back, Reham admitted that many of her memories remain blurred after such a long period in captivity. “I only recognized my siblings,” she said. “I don’t remember anyone else. I’m trying to remember, but I was only 10 years old when they took me, and now I’m 22. It’s difficult to recall more than that.”
Reham’s story is one of countless Yezidi women and children abducted by ISIS who are still missing or recovering from years of brutality. Her return represents not only a personal victory, but a testament to the enduring resilience of the Yezidi community.
