First Wife of ISIS Leader Sentenced to Death in Iraq

In a significant legal decision, Asma Fawzi Mohammad, also known as Asma Fawzi Muhammad Al-Qubaysi, has been sentenced to death in Iraq for her involvement with ISIS. She was notably recognized as the first wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the infamous leader of the Islamic State, who was killed in 2019 during a U.S. operation in Syria.

Iraqi courts have been rigorously prosecuting individuals associated with ISIS, particularly those involved in acts of terrorism and support for the militant group. Asma’s sentencing underscores Iraq’s continued efforts to hold ISIS affiliates accountable for their roles in the group’s brutal regime. Her case is part of a broader judicial campaign that has seen numerous death sentences and life imprisonments handed down to both local and foreign members of ISIS.

Asma’s Crimes and Arrest

She was sentenced to death by hanging by the Karkh (west Baghdad criminal court after being found guilty of detaining a Yazidi woman in her home. The women she detained were later kidnapped by ISIS fighters in the Sinjar region of Northern Iraq, according to a statement released by the Iraqi court.

Baghdadi’s wife was arrested in Turkey in 2018 while living under an assumed name. She was extradited to Iraq in February 2024 to stand trial for her crimes against humanity, including contributing to “genocide against the Yazidi people and aiding terrorist actions.”