War crimes charges brought for seizure of property in non-international armed conflict
Published: 11 July 2019 Author: Rosie Good DOI: 10.17176/20220113-162945-0
On 3 April 2019, an indictment was brought against German national Mine K. before the State Security Senate of the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf. The Federal Prosecutor alleges that Mine K. joined the foreign terrorist organisation Islamic State (“IS”) through a video-call marriage to an IS fighter in January 2015. Subsequently, she travelled with her young son and new husband to Mosul, Iraq, where her husband earned about 250 USD a month as an IS fighter. In August 2015, they moved to the city of Tal Afar in Iraq. The city and surrounding area had already been conquered and occupied by the Islamic State in June 2014. The terrorist organization placed houses in the city under their administration after their rightful inhabitants had fled or been driven out by IS fighters. The family of the accused received one of these houses for use. They moved willingly into the house in order to consolidate the territorial claim of the organization, and to make recapture by opposing military forces more difficult. (more…)