The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) today published a new policy brief,
Prosecution of German Women Returning from Syria and Iraq: Insights and Recomm





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CEP Policy Brief: Prosecution Of German Women Returning From Syria And Iraq



(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) today published a new
policy brief,Prosecution of German Women Returning from Syria and Iraq:
Insights and Recommendations for Policymakers and Security Agencies
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, the first in a series of papers analyzing the prosecution, rehabilitation,
and reintegration of returnees in four different European countries. Authored
by CEP Senior Research AnalystSofia Koller
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installment presents CEP’s insights as well as policy and security
recommendations regarding the prosecution of women who left Germany for
territory controlled by ISIS in Syria and Iraq and have returned.



Over the last decade, approximately 25 percent of the individuals who left
Germany to travel to Syria and Iraq—the majority of which joined ISIS—were
women. Of those women who have returned to Germany, approximately 29 percent
have been convicted for “membership in or support of a foreign terrorist
organization,” with one also being convicted of aiding and abetting genocide.



These convictions have reaffirmed a common argument made by German prosecutors
in recent years: that these women have not just been caring for their family
and household; rather, their support of their family and household has in turn
enabled their husbands to fight for ISIS and should be considered members of
ISIS themselves. The cases have also highlighted the role that women with ISIS
have played in offenses against Yazidi “slaves.”



The first step to enforce arrest warrants and enable prosecution is to
repatriate all German citizens and minors and with a connection to Germany from
Northeast Syria and Iraq. Additionally, in order to fairly adjudicate these
cases, international efforts regarding access to “battlefield or military
evidence” and cooperation with Yazidi communities must both be strengthened. As
these cases continue to unfold, relevant law enforcement parties must have
access to improved analysis and risk assessment tools to ensure the safety of
the German and international communities.



For more information on the prosecution of female returnees in Germany well as
CEP’s complete policy recommendations, the briefProsecution of German Women
Returning from Syria and Iraq is available here
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.



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