Four women captured in the Iraqi city of Mosul, thought to be fighting for ISIS have been confirmed as German nationals.
One is 16-year old Linda Wenzel from east Germany. She had been reported as missing a year ago after being groomed online to join the jihadi group.
1. German ISIS girl Linda W. (16 y/o) was apparently captured in Mosul by Iraqi security forces: https://t.co/mkrbo0yfV1 pic.twitter.com/AcmqQtVSrF— Björn Stritzel (@bjoernstritzel) July 17, 2017
German public prosecutor Lorenz Haase confirmed that they are not currently attempting to extradite the girl.
“We as the public prosecutor’s office Dresden have not applied for an arrest warrant and will therefore not be able to request extradition. There is the possibility that Linda might be put on trial in Iraq, she might as a foreigner be expelled or, because she is a minor reported missing in Germany, she could be handed over to Germany.”
If the girl is returned to Germany she could only be charged as a young offender, with appropriate sentencing, but if tried in Iraq, all of the women captured could face the death penalty.
Intelligence agencies estimate that over 900 people have left Germany in recent years to join Islamic State, with almost 50 thought to have been minors, half of whom were female.
