Fawzia Amin Saydo, a young Yazidi girl who, at the age of 11, was kidnapped by fighters of the Islamic State (ISIS). Their harrowing story, revealed after a decade of captivity, exposes the unimaginable cruelty and heinous crimes committed by extremists. One of the most terrifying episodes of his experience was being forced to eat meat from slaughtered babiesan act of barbarism that highlights the inhumane conditions she suffered along with other women and children.
Fawzia’s kidnapping came in August 2014, when ISIS fighters stormed his hometown of Sinjar in northern Iraq. His family was torn apart: the men murdered, and the children and women kidnapped. Fawzia was dragged along with other victims to Tal Afar, before being transferred to Syria, where she was bought and sold as a slave to men on at least five occasions. Throughout the years of captivity, Fawzia endured physical and sexual violence at the hands of combatants of ISISgiving birth to two children while still a child.
One of the most heartbreaking moments in her story occurred shortly after her arrival in Tal Afar, when she and other captives were deprived of food for four days. Finally, the terrorists They were offered meat, which the hungry prisoners had no choice but to consume. But momentary relief soon turned to horror when ISIS fighters revealed the shocking truth: the meat they had eaten was from sacrificed babies. This cruel act not only represented physical and psychological abuse, but was also an example of the extreme dehumanization to which the prisoners of the ISIS.
It is worth mentioning that the Yazidi community has been one of the most affected by the atrocities committed by the ISIS. According to estimates, more than 5,000 Yazidis were killed and more than 10,000 kidnapped during the genocide perpetrated by this extremist group. Women, in particular, were subjected to brutal treatment, being used as slaves by men and repeatedly sold between combatants.
Throughout his captivity, Fawzia lived in extreme conditions, first under the yoke of ISIS and then in Gaza, where she was held by militants of Hamas. In a recent interview, Fawzia revealed that she found no difference between the two terrorist groups. Both subjected her to physical torture, sexual abuse and psychological abuse, while she fought to survive. His story came to light thanks to a desperate contact he managed to establish with the British documentary filmmaker Alan Duncan, who pushed for his release.
Fawzia’s rescue operationwhich involved Israeli, American and Iraqi authorities, was a complex mission that lasted months. The young motherwho had lost all hope at many points in her captivity, was finally released on October 1, 2024.
His return to Iraq marked the end of a decade of suffering, but the scars of his experience remain. His lawyer, Zemfira Dlovani, explained that Fawzia She has been so traumatized that she can only remember a small part of what she experienced, with around 15% of her memories still intact.