Inside the Twana H.S. and Asia R.A. Trial #11: Living with perpetrators
TRIAL OF TWANA H.S. AND ASIA R.A.
Higher Regional Court – Munich, Germany
Trial Monitoring Summary #11
Hearing Date: September 17 & 18, 2025
CAUTION: Some testimony may include graphic descriptions of torture, rape or other violent acts.
Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial; it is merely an unofficial summary of the proceedings.
Throughout this summary, [information located in brackets are notes from our trial monitor] and “information placed in quotes are statements made by the witness, judges or counsel.” The names and identifying information of witnesses have been redacted.
[Note: SJAC provides a summary of the proceedings while redacting certain details to protect witness privacy and to preserve the integrity of the trial.]
SJAC’s 11th trial monitoring report details day 20 and 21 of the trial of Twana H.S. and Asia R.A. in Munich, Germany. On the first trial day, the Court questioned the son of F7, F17. F17 did not remember much of his time with ISIS or his interactions with the victim P1 and he reported to be thankful for not remembering. He expressed a wish to move on from this experience.
On the second day this week, the Court heard W11 a friend of Twana H.S. W11 had already testified in the trial against Twana H.S. in 2019. His testimony differed significantly from then, as he reported to have met Twana H.S. in 2016 and having been friends with him until 2019 or 2020. The Court told W11 that it did not believe what he was saying, as he had given a statement to the police in 2018 in which he had reported to have been friends with Twana H.S. for several years until they lost contact in 2015.
Day 20 – September 17, 2025
The trial day began with the Presiding Judge explaining that the witness, [redacted name], F17, had emailed the judge prior to the hearing asking whether his home address could be censored in the hearing. The Presiding Judge granted F17 that wish.
After being instructed on his rights and duties, the witness testified to knowing Twana H.S. as Abdullah but that he did not know Asia R.A. He explained that he had not seen Twana H.S.’s, wife as she had always been covered in his presence.
F17 did not remember much about the journey he took with Twana H.S., his mother [redacted name], F7, and [redacted name], F6, to Syria, as he had been quite young at the time. He remembered that they flew to a city in Turkey, drove via car to a field, and walked to Syria from there. What F17 could remember was that he had already seen Twana H.S. while living in Germany with F6 and F7. He also revealed that when he did talk to Twana H.S., they spoke in German.
When they had reached Syria, women and men were separated, which meant that F17 was housed with F6 and Twana H.S., away from his mother F7. F17 could not remember how long they had stayed in the house, but that after they left, he would stay with F6 and his siblings in an apartment F7 owned in Raqqa. F17 remembered that they moved into a mansion, also in Raqqa, after living in that apartment for about two years. F17 had gotten private lessons in Arabic, math, and other unspecified topics from a friend of F6. F17 mostly stayed in the house or went to buy groceries for F7 and Twana H.S. He did this both in Raqqa and al Mayadin. He did not know what F6 and Twana H.S. were doing to earn money but was aware that F6 was working for terrorists, as F6 had once left a weapon lying around at home.
F17 then described a meeting in al Mayadin with Twana H.S. and his covered wife, in which he had contact with P1. He knew that P1 was being held as a slave by Twana H.S. He knew P1 as [redacted name] [a name she had been given by ISIS] and estimated that she had been about nine years old. Her main tasks included cleaning, but F17 did not remember what else P1 had to do for Asia R.A. and Twana H.S.
F17 and P1 were sent to get slushies and when F17 drank some of it, P1 panicked and asked him to stop, as she was not allowed to eat without permission. F17 did not remember exactly who sent them, but he remembered that he had wanted to play with P1, as he himself had been a child as well.
When pressed if he had talked about this incident with his mother, F17 revealed that he did not live near his mother and only had sporadic contact with her over WhatsApp. F17 remembered that the Accused had also lived in a mansion in Raqqa. He had seen P1 cleaning the house once and that she cried once in his presence, though he could not say if she was an overall happy person or not.
***
[19-minutes-break]
***
The Court then asked about the situation in which F17 found out that P1 was being held as a slave. [F7 had testified that she started to scream, which prompted both her husband [redacted name], F6, and Twana H.S. to come into the room, for more see trial report #5]. F17 answered that he could not remember the incident, as his mother would yell very often.
The Court proceeded to show F17 pictures of P1 as a baby and when she was with ISIS, as he could not describe P1 in Detail when being asked. F17 could not remember anything remarkable about P1 and did not recognize anyone in the pictures.
The Plaintiffs' Counsel, Mrs. Von Wistinghausen, asked F17 about his recollection of Twana H.S. and Asia R.A., but F17 could not remember anything besides having seen Twana H.S.
Defense Counsel for Twana H.S. Martin Kämpf asked F17 how many places he had lived in the time he was in Syria. F17 answered that he could not remember exactly, but he could remember [redacted locations]. According to F17, P1 could go to the men’s room despite being a woman, and he could not remember anything significant about the conversations he had with Twana H.S. When asked at what point in the day F17 and P1 had gone to get the slushies together, F17 answered that he assumed midday but did not want to say anything wrong.
Defense Counsel for Asia R.A. Mr. Ameri asked F17 questions about his stay in Syria. F17 answered that he had been brought there when he was about ten or eleven and stayed for at least six years. He had been named [redacted name] at the time, a name that F6 had chosen.
While he had talked with his mother about her testifying in court, they had not spoken about specifics, as F17 did not care. According to him, he and his mother are trying to move on from the time they spent in Syria, and he does not want to remember or be prompted to remember anything about the time there. So, the two do not talk about that time. F17 also did not speak to F7’s Counsel about the specifics of the proceedings and only asked whether the Counsel could accompany him to Court. The Counsel had other obligations on this day, however, and could not attend.
***
[64-minutes-break]
***
Counsel Ameri asked F17 about F6, but F17 could not remember more than he had already said.
When asked if he had seen the wife of Twana H.S. in Syria, F17 divulged that they had spoken in Arabic. When asked about P1’s level of Arabic, F17 answered that he did not know, but he himself was not very good at speaking Arabic.
When asked about his tasks in the household, F17 answered that he had to do various things around the house like washing dishes or cleaning the toilet.
The proceedings were adjourned at 1:45 PM.
The next trial day will be on September 18, 2025, at 9:30 AM.
Day 21 – September 18, 2025
In the second session this week, the Court first heard [redacted name], W11, a friend of Twana H.S. from the time when he lived in Germany. W11 had been part of a rather big friend group which Twana H.S. was also a part of. They had met through a mutual friend called [redacted name], F69. At first, W11 said that he had met Twana H.S. around 2016 or a little bit earlier, but he was not sure exactly. The Presiding Judge asked W11 when Twana H.S. and he had lost touch, to which W11 answered around 2019 or 2020.
At this point, the Presiding Judge made a short pause, frowned, and asked whether W11 remembered being questioned by the police. W11 answered that while he had already testified in court [in a previous trial], he did not remember being questioned by the police. The Presiding Judge asked him if he was sure, and told him that the Court had a protocol of an [redacted name] from a police interview in 2018 which had also been audio recorded. W11 asserted that he did not remember any such interview. The Presiding Judge then showed him the signature placed on the protocol, to which W11 answered that this was his signature.
The Presiding Judge moved on to probing what exactly W11 had known about Twana H.S. W11 answered that he had known Twana H.S. as “Imad” [a known alias of Twana H.S.], that Twana H.S. had a son, that he liked going to the gym, and that he was working as a hair stylist.
When asked again, W11 said that he was not sure when he had met Twana H.S. The Presiding Judge then asked if Twana H.S. had changed in the period of their relationship, to which the witness answered that Twana H.S. had stayed the same. The Judge asked if W11 was sure another three times, to which W11 always answered that he was sure. When asked how their friendship had ended, W11 answered that he had been looking for an apartment and as Twana H.S. had been looking to move back to Iraq, W11 could take over Twana H.S.’s apartment.
The Presiding Judge then asked W11 if he had any idea why Twana H.S. moved to Iraq. W11 answered that he did not know, to which the Judge told him that he did not believe him. The Presiding Judge reminded W11 that he had to be truthful in his testimony and asked W11 again about any changes in behavior. W11 said that he did not see any changes while they were friends. After a few more pointed questions, W11 admitted that Twana H.S. had become more religious towards the end of their relationship. When asked if that’s how he knew that Twana H.S. had joined the terrorists, W11 answered that he would have distanced himself immediately if he had known that. When asked again, W11 answered that he and his friends thought he had joined ISIS, but did not know for sure.
W11 told the Court that Twana H.S. had told W11 that he pitied the people in Iraq. When asked again, W11 answered that as the whole thing was ten years ago, he could not remember exactly. The Presiding Judge asked W11 again when he had lost contact with Twana H.S. W11 again said 2019 or 2020, to which the Judge replied that W11’s police statement [in which he said to have lost contact with Twana H.S. a few years prior] had been in 2018. The Court then asked him whether he had lied in that interview or his statement in 2018. The witness responded that he had told the truth then. When asked whether W11 still had family in Iraq, W11 instead relayed information on various ISIS attacks on the region.
The parties did not have any questions for this witness, but before the witness could be dismissed, Twana H.S. said something to W11. When asked by the Presiding Judge what he had said, Twana H.S. answered that he had only said hello. W11 answered that he says hello as well. The witness was subsequently dismissed.
***
[19-minutes-break]
***
The Court then read out a note from [redacted name], W11, to Twana H.S.’s landlord in 2015 on terminating Twana H.S.’s lease.
Next, the Court read the denial of an application by Twana H.S. to have his living quarters be transferred to an asylum center in Regensburg. That Court had found that while Twana H.S.’s life partner [Asia R.A.] and children lived in Regensburg, it would be too dangerous for the general public to transfer Twana H.S. He had already violated several of his probation conditions, and there was still a high risk of him relapsing into extremism.
Next, the Court read out an arrest warrant for Asia R.A. in accordance with Sect. 95 Residence Act, as she was residing in Germany without a residence permit, and Sect. 281 GCC for misuse of identity papers. In this case, the public prosecutor had decided to dispense with the preferment of public charges in accordance with Sect. 153a GCCP and concurrently imposed the payment of 1300€. The court subsequently read out several receipts. Asia R.A. was late on one occasion, but paid off the sum in full.
Next, the Court read out an email by [redacted name], W6, in which she confirmed to Twana H.S. that his life partner had paid the imposed payment.
***
[79-minutes-break]
***
Next, the Court read out a report by the police about Twana H.S. having a potential weapon in his possession [in violation of his parole]. The criminal proceedings against Twana H.S. because of this potential weapon were, however, discontinued.
Next, the Court read a statement made by Asia R.A. She claimed that she had been forced to wed Twana H.S., her senior by eleven years. Twana H.S. had made all the decisions regarding their flight to Germany, and Twana H.S. had been putting pressure onto her to move to Italy while he was in prison following his conviction in 2019. Asia R.A. reported to be afraid of Twana H.S. and that she did not want their children to grow up with him. Once her mother had died, Asia R.A.’s father had remarried, and she had been the unloved stepchild. Twana H.S.’s family, including his eldest son, F3, reached out to Asia R.A. at least twice a month, but they would not take her in if she went back to Iraq. Asia R.A. also reported that she had been a housewife in Syria and had nothing to do with ISIS, only her husband had worked with them. She also had an uncle who had lived in Germany since 2003, who she could live with.
The Court then read a decision on Asia R.A.’s status as an asylum seeker. While she was not granted asylum in Germany, there was a permanent obstacle to her deportation, as the wives of ISIS-members frequently faced the death penalty in Iraq. The decision restates Asia R.A.’s statement.
Next, the Court read a physical assessment of Twana H.S.’s health. The doctor found him to be in good health but also found various scars across his body and shrapnel in his leg.
The proceedings were adjourned at 2:01 PM.
The next trial day will be on September 22, 2025, at 10:00 AM.
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