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Iraq Sentences 2 More Russian Women for Their Ties to Islamic State

Alaa Al-Marjani / Reuters

Iraq has reportedly sentenced two Russian women to life in prison for ties to Islamic State a week after handing life sentences to two other wives of suspected IS fighters.

Fifty-seven Russian women and around 100 of their children have been held in a female prison in Baghdad as of March, a Russian senator said. An Iraqi court last week sentenced two Russian and one French woman to life in prison on charges of terrorist ties and illegal border crossing.

Two unnamed Russian nationals, two Azeris and one French woman were given life sentences for terrorist ties, Iraq’s al-Sumaria news channel reported Thursday, citing a central criminal court judge.

The court in Baghdad sentenced three Kyrgyz and two Azeri women to death, the report added.

Around 1,400 women and children, mostly from Turkey, Russia and, the former Soviet republics, have been held in Iraq since 2017. In February, Iraq returned 27 Russian children and four women suspected of terrorist ties to their homeland.

Islamic State is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.

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