Swedish authorities arrest two women from Sweden suspected of committing war crimes in Syria
September 8, 2021, 10:01 am

Swedish authorities arrest two women from Sweden suspected of committing war crimes in Syria

War in Syria

The Arab News reported according to the prosecutors office and local media said on Tuesday, Swedish authorities arrested two women from Sweden suspected of committing war crimes in Syria.

The Arab news said that according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office, three women from the territories once controlled by Daesh arrived on Monday at the Stockholm airport. Two were arrested while a third one, who is not considered a suspect, was released after questioning.

Prosecutors Hanna Lemoine and Karolina Wieslander, in charge of the two cases, told Swedish news agency TT that the two arrested will be questioned further before the prosecution decides whether to formally charge them.

Swedish broadcaster SVT said one of the two women is also suspected of genocide and crimes against humanity.

According to the Arab News, TT said the Kurdish regional government in northeastern Syria — where Daesh had set up the headquarters of its self-styled caliphate before its collapse in 2017 — decided in June to deport the women, who all had been part of Daesh and are Swedish citizens.

Shiyar Ali, the Kurdish representative in the Nordic countries, told TT: “We cannot or do not have the resources to bring them to justice.”

“Just the fact that they have been part of a terrorist organization is frightening, considering what Daesh has committed.”

Sweden’s Foreign Minister Anne Linde told TT on Monday that Sweden, unlike other countries, had not brought back on its own initiative Swedish citizens who were part of Daesh in Syria.

The Arab News noted, in March, a woman was sentenced to three years in prison in Sweden for taking her two-year-old son to Syria in 2014, to an area that was then controlled by Daesh.

The woman had allegedly told the child’s father that she and the boy were only going on a holiday to Turkey. However, once in Turkey, the two crossed into Syria and Daesh-run territory.

The woman later managed to escape to Turkey where she was arrested with her son and two other children she had given birth to in the meantime, while living with a Daesh fighter from Tunisia. She was extradited from Turkey to Sweden.

Source: arabnews

The 9/11 Legacy Abu Dhabi wealth fund to focus on technology and climate change for its post-COVID-19 strategy

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”