Inside the Twana H.S. and Asia R.A. Trial #15: The Anatomy of a Genocide
TRIAL OF TWANA H.S. AND ASIA R.A.
Higher Regional Court – Munich, Germany
Trial Monitoring Summary #15
Hearing Date: October 13 and 14, 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 15th trial monitoring report details days 28 and 29 of the trial of Twana H.S. and Asia R.A. in Munich, Germany. On this trial day the Court first heard E6 who gave an expert report on the genocide of the Yazidi. He told the Court that the Yazidi women were systematically enslaved, with the existence of an “FAQ” list for ISIS members and a recommended price list for the women and girls. He also spoke of the blessing of those that had been raped while in custody as well as the treatment of children of former enslaved Yazidis and their captors by the Yazidi community. On this day, both Defense Teams also read separate statements in accordance with Sect. 257 GCCP on the testimony of F32. Lastly, the Court heard a friend of Asia R.A. named W15, who had a sexual relationship with her and called her a good person.
On the second day, the Court read excerpts from an article of the ISIS-magazine Dabiq, specifying ISIS’ views of the Yazidi and their intentions behind the enslavements, and read out the “FAQ” list from trial day 28. The Court then heard W16, who testified on her impressions of Asia R.A., who she questioned as a police officer in 2018. She spoke of various observations and contradictions in relation to Asia R.A.’s journey to Germany, her family relationship and faith. Asia R.A.’s Defense Team objected to her testimony, claiming the witness would not have correctly instructed their client during the questioning. Additionally, the Court heard testimonies by W17 and W18, who independently interviewed Asia R.A. on her reasons for asylum.
Day 28 – October 13, 2025
On this trial day, the Court heard [redacted name], E6, an expert in comparative religious studies. He explained to the Court that leading up to the genocide the Kurdish troops left Shingal [in northern Iraq], giving ISIS the opportunity to step in and assume leadership in those parts. The group proceeded to kill the male Yazidi members, as well as older women and younger children. The girls and women were given to ISIS-members in one of three ways. The senior members were allowed to choose who they wanted, they were raffled off, or sold. Selling to outsiders was strictly forbidden. ISIS justified this practice as their right as victors, that the Yazidi and through a religious myth propagated by ISIS in which the son of a slave will be the one to bring the last battle. The younger boys were separated from their families and indoctrinated to be used as child soldiers for ISIS.
The Court then asked about the special quota for survivors [a project by the government of the state of Baden-Württemberg, in which 1.100 survivors of the genocide were offered to get treatment for their trauma in Germany], which E6 was leading. The Court wanted to know how E6 experienced the victims. The witness answered that though he did not ask specific questions regarding the trauma the victims suffered, in an effort not to retraumatize them, some of the victims voluntarily shared what had happened to them. Those reports predominantly described the same treatment of torture, sexual assault, and enslavement. ISIS also had guidelines on how to treat slaves, for example that one should not hit a slave in the face. This led to ISIS-members maiming victims’ hands, burning them with the butts of cigarettes, and hitting them where people could not see. When probed by the Court, E6 said that very few potential participants lied in their application for the special quota and they were excluded from participation. When asked if in his experience, victims colluded to tell specific stories of victimization, E6 denied this. The culture of shame around this treatment was too ingrained in the Yazidi community while E6 was leading the special quota. As sexual intercourse with outsiders was forbidden within the Yazidi community, a special stigma laid upon speaking about the trauma the victims had gone through. At the same time, the men were ashamed of being unable to protect their female relatives.
The Court then asked E6 to explain the difference between an Islamist, a Jihadist and a Salafist. E6 answered that a Salafist is someone who wants to adhere to the primeval customs of Islam. Islamists want an Islamist state in addition to Christian and Jewish state. Jihadists call for a holy war. ISIS embodies all three.
The Court then asked the expert about officially published articles by ISIS regarding the treatment of slaves in the form of a so-called “FAQ” and a list of prices for Sabayas [slaves]. The women were expected to be thankful to their ISIS-captors and to be given the opportunity to turn to the one true religion. When asked about the children of slaves with ISIS-members, E6 explained that the father had all rights to the child. Often the women were told by the Yazidi community that as long as they left their child, they could rejoin the society.
When asked the expert recounted how ISIS destroyed multiple holy sites of the Yazidi. The women and children gathered in bigger centers in Raqqa and Mosul, where they were sold. The women were then raped and sexually abused. As marriage is a contractual relationship in Iraq, ISIS-members rarely married their captives. E6 reported that he had not heard of a slave that had been freed by her captors on purpose. Although only the Yazidi people were systematically enslaved, others were also subjected to sexual violence.
According to the expert, practices vary greatly within the Yazidi community. While the former leader of the Yazidi, Baba Sheikh Xurto Hecî Îsmaîl, blessed the abused women before they came to Germany as part of the special quota, some victims were also urged by their relatives to commit suicide.
To force conversion [to Islam], ISIS-members shot those who did not want to convert or tortured the Yazidi. E6 explained how children offered praying to him, and concluded that, apparently, this was a way of avoiding being subjected to violence.
To the Prosecutor, the expert explained that the victims of ISIS are still considered dirty by the wider community with the situation becoming even more dire if the women have children with an ISIS-member. When asked about the possibility of fleeing from ISIS, the expert described the victims as reluctant as this would lead to torture as well as the possibility of being separated from their family. Most missing persons are presumed dead as new mass graves are still being discovered.
Expert for child and adolescent psychiatry [redacted name], E1, asked E6 about the role of the women in ISIS households. E6 answered that while the role of the woman is limited, she does have rights to participate. As an example, he told E1 that women asked their husbands to get slaves to help with chores, not adhering to this system had life-threatening consequences for the women.
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[66-minutes-break]
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The Defense of Twana H.S. only had a few questions about the documents generated and the documentation by ISIS of the slave trade. E6 explained that it was unwise to carry personal documents while on the run and therefore the women he met did not have any documents on themselves.
Asia R.A.’s Defense Team asked again about the role of the woman in the ISIS households. E6 compared the role to those of the women in Mormonism. While women have the right to manage the household and the servants, they are still subordinates to their husbands. When asked about the blessing the expert explained that while he, E6, himself hat proposed the idea, the Baba Sheikh decided to bless the women and children who would leave Iraq to participate in the special quota. [note: Baba Sheikh, the religious leader of the Yazidi, welcomed Yazidi women that had been enslaved and sexually assaulted back into the community. Against the Yazidi tradition to banish members from the community when they have been sexually engaged with a non-Yazidi person, even through rape, he formally issued a declaration, announcing that they remained members of the Yazidi faith.]
After the expert was dismissed, the Defense Teams read separate statements on the testimony of [redacted name], F32, in accordance with Sect. 257 GCCP, claiming that the testimony could not support a conviction as it did not meet credibility standards.
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[21-minutes-break]
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After the break, the Court heard a [redacted name], W15, a friend of Asia R.A. He had met her in a refugee center in Germany as they shared a mutual friend. He helped her by interpreting since Asia R.A. did not speak any German and referred her to his lawyer, Shervin Ameri [her current Defense Counsel]. W15 reported that Asia R.A. was a good person with a good heart as she does not gossip about others. She loved life in Germany, rode with her bike a lot and exercised.
When asked about Asia R.A.’s family, W15 could only remember that her father is in prison, but he did not remember why. He did not know Asia R.A.’s exact age, but assumed it to be around 29 or 30. He knew Asia R.A. was married to a man who had worked as an ambulance driver in Iraq and that her husband was in prison because he had gone back home and “screwed up.” When asked about the circumstances around the wedding, W15 recalled that Asia R.A.’s father had chosen the man and that she had been 18 or 19 when she was married. After the couple had had their daughter, Twana H.S. had suddenly suggested to Asia R.A. that they should go to Germany. When pressed, W15 testified that the family had lived in Syria as well.
While Asia R.A. had been scared of the war, she did not specifically tell W15 about her past beyond living in the territory of ISIS. In Germany, Asia R.A. wore a headscarf but did not seem very religious to W15 as she did not speak about Islam or pray. According to W15, Asia R.A.’s mother had died when she was 12 or 14. When asked again about the circumstances of the marriage, W15 remembered that Asia R.A. could have said no if she wanted to. After some back and forth, the witness admitted to having an affair with Asia R.A. He affirmed that Asia R.A. had had an abortion, though this child was not his.
Twana H.S.’s Defense Team only asked about Asia R.A. visiting Twana H.S. in prison. W15 answered that Asia R.A. visited him once or twice. Asia R.A.’s Defense Team asked if Asia R.A. had told W15 anything about ISIS or her husband being with ISIS, which W15 denied.
The proceedings were adjourned at 3:30 PM.
The next trial day will be on October 14, 2025, at 9:30 AM.
Day 29 – October 14, 2025
The Court started the second session of this week with a reading of certified translations of excerpts from the fourth edition of the discontinued ISIS online magazine Dabiq from 2014, titled “The Failed Crusade.” The Presiding Judge read from an article on the resurgence of slavery before the so-called final hour, which explained various ISIS views on the Yazidi faith. Subsequently, the article detailed legitimacy questions behind what ISIS called a “necessary re-discovered form of slavery.”
According to these excerpts, the Yazidi religion would be so distinct from Islam that even Christian faith groups would consider Yazidis as devil-worshippers. As such, members of the Yazidi faith must be treated as Islam treats polytheists, which is why a regular tax could never be enough. As they would be “worse than any Christians and Jews,” Yazidi enslavement would be permissible for Muslims, while opinions on direct killings still differ among Islamic scholars. This is why an allocation of Yazidi slaves among ISIS members would be appropriate and generally the mildest remedy for Yazidis. The Presiding Judge continued with a reading of Islamic surahs [chapters of the Quran] that, according to ISIS scholars, prove such statements. The article concluded that the enslavement of Yazidis would be a sign of the last hour towards ISIS’ full conquest of the lands of the Kāfir [“unbeliver” or “denier”].
The Court then heard [redacted name], W16, a police officer, formerly of W1’s unit, who questioned Asia R.A. in 2018 on her illegal entry and stay in Germany as well as her false immigration documents. After the Court asked the witness how she identified the Accused during her questioning in 2018, to which W16 responded that she does no longer remember the details, Presiding Judge Dr. Stoll showed particular interest in the witness’ first impressions of Asia R.A. W16 testified that Asia R.A. did not cooperate and that it seemed to her that Asia R.A. knew more than she stated. The witness explained that many details regarding Asia R.A.’s journey remained illogical, for example, that while she joined a man from Türkiye in a truck coming from Iraq, and then took the airplane and a train to Munich, she claimed to have not been asked for her identity documents once - which her husband organized for her.
To the Court’s question what Asia R.A. stated as a reason for leaving Iraq, W16 testified that she had a clearly expressed the wish to live in Germany. W16 recalled Asia R.A. stating that she was born in [redacted location], then went to [redacted location], where she got to know her husband, married him right after meeting him for the first time, and lived with her aunt, before she returned to her birthplace. W16 then specified that Asia R.A. repeatedly mentioned to have grown up without her parents, who died early. The Court showed interest in any mentioned names, to which the witness recalled Asia R.A.’s memory of her aunt’s husband, [redacted name], F75. The witness contextualized this testimony with her description of Asia R.A.’s nervousness, when the name [redacted name] was mentioned, which she described as a moment in which Asia R.A. felt caught, with regards to a potential second “[redacted name].” This interested the Court, which asked the witness further questions on her impressions of such possibly “constructed” storylines To this, W16 testified that Asia R.A.’s statements further seemed contradictory regarding her supposedly nonexistent relationship with her parents, as she recalled many details about her brother, who would have died with her parents. The witness asked herself how Asia R.A. could not have known her parents when she had known her own brother rather well. W16 added to her testimony that Asia R.A.’s description of German police uniforms as black did not add up, as well as her statement that her husband worked as an ambulance driver and was in danger only because he helped some people. As a response to further questioning from W16 during the police interview, Asia R.A. announced to “only say the truth” when her husband comes.
Additionally, W16 testified to have recognized Asia R.A. reciting several Arabic surahs during her questioning, which the interpreter [redacted name], F76, confirmed to W16 after the questioning. The Court then asked if Asia R.A. seemed very religious, which W16 affirmed, highlighting Asia R.A.’s statement that she is religiously married with her husband and only speaks Arabic with her child, which was present during the questioning, as it is the language of the Quran. W16 also testified to have spoken with the interpreter about his observation of Asia R.A.’s admiration of Islam, whenever she spoke about the topic during the questioning. The Court wanted to clarify when the witness had spoken to the interpreter about the hearing, to which W16 replied that she had a casual post-questioning discussion with him, in which he shared his own observations and also mentioned to have quickly spoken to Asia R.A. after the questioning, as she showed a strong need to address him directly. There, Asia R.A. told the interpreter that her husband made a mistake by returning to Mosul to participate in ambulance driving services for ISIS. Finally, W16 added that Asia R.A. told her that she would get killed immediately outside of Germany, like everyone who leaves Mosul.
The Defense Team of Asia R.A. followed with several questions asking if W16 had any suspicion of ISIS membership in the context of this questioning, to which the witness only testified with her knowledge of a similar questioning and case against Asia R.A.’s husband, which was conducted in parallel to Asia R.A.’s. W16 only knew of the suspicion of terrorism financing and that the Accused’ husband had exited Germany in 2015/2016. According to W16, Asia R.A. was correctly informed about the reasons for her questioning and her right to remain silent. According to the witness, the questioning followed the usual procedure of a police questioning on illegal entry. The Defense Counsel then asked how W16 was able to understand Asia R.A.’s expressions of nervousness and admiration towards Islam, since she was not of similar cultural background or understand Sorani. W16 responded with her ability to understand common human reactions and that F76 had confirmed her observations. Interested, the Defense then asked several questions on how the interpreter had been selected. W16 recounted how she had decided on F76 from a police list of interpreters with the help of colleagues.
The Defense Team of Twana H.S. asked when W16 had a first suspicion of ISIS membership with regards to Asia R.A. W16 responded that Asia R.A.’s general stay in [redacted location] and her narration of her husband seemed suspicious to her. A potential ISIS membership was a logical conclusion she then made.
Finally, Presiding Judge Dr. Stoll asked if W16 had ever been skeptical of Asia R.A.’s identity, which the witness denied.
Immediately after W16 was dismissed, the Defense Team of Asia R.A. followed with a statement in accordance with Sect. 257 GCCP and filed an objection to exploitation, [i.e. preventing a court from considering a testimony as evidence, usually because the evidence was obtained in violation of procedural rules or fundamental rights] with regards to W16, arguing that it was obvious that the 2018 questioning was not conducted properly and in accordance with the basic rule of law. Rather, Asia R.A. should have been instructed of the suspicion of ISIS-membership of her husband, which W16 did not state as a reason for the questioning.
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[60-minute break]
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After the break, the Court heard [redacted name], W17, former administrative officer at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), who interviewed Asia R.A. on her reasons for asylum in June 2018. W17 testified that she does not remember anything from that day, even after having read her own asylum interview transcript the week prior. After being asked by the Court, W17 was also unable to identify the Accused. Presiding Judge Dr. Stoll explained that the witness’s lack of memory was a unique situation, although understandable, and announced a break for the Court to consult on the further procedure.
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[17-minute break]
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After the break, the Court announced not to read the protocol of W17’s asylum interview of Asia R.A. in the presence of the witness and asked if the Defense consents to a reading at an unspecified later point of the trial. Both Defense Teams did not approve. The Court acknowledged the disapproval of the Defense and moved on without further discussion.
Subsequently, the Court heard [redacted name], W18, former administrative officer at the Central Foreigners’ Registration Office Upper Palatinate [German: Ausländerbehörde], who interviewed Asia R.A. on her identity in the context of her asylum application in June 2018. The witness explained to not remember much of the interview and testified that it only focused on questions surrounding Asia R.A.’s identity and journey to Germany. According to the witness, the Accused knew about Iraq’s national flag, type of currency and dialects, stated that she was Islamically married, had a child, was pregnant, and traveled to Germany via Türkiye with a passport given to her by her husband. Nothing of the interview seemed suspicious, according to W18, and Asia R.A. behaved emotionally calm, was cooperative and direct.
To the Court’s question of whether the witness recognized any signs of a radical Islamist ideology in Asia R.A., W18 answered that he did not ask any related questions, but that he also did not recognize anything out of the ordinary.
After the witness was dismissed, the Prosecutor issued a counterstatement to the Defense’s rejection of W16’s testimony. The Prosecutor pointed out that the witness testimony of W16 was fully admissible, as at the time of the questioning, the level of knowledge, specifically in relation to any confirmed ISIS membership, was still too limited for such comprehensive instruction to have been given. As such, the questioning did not serve the purpose of assessing the legal requirement of membership in a foreign terrorist organization according to Sect. 129a GCC. As a response, the Defense Team of Asia R.A. added to their statement that the Accused was indeed only married according to Islamic law, but that there has been an obvious intention to have a civil wedding at the time. The Defense of Twana H.S. added that further instruction would have been necessary, as the two Accused traveled together to Germany, have children with each other and had a seemingly close relationship, including a promise of civil marriage, which would make Sect. 52 GCCP – constituting the right of the accused’ fiancé, spouse or life partner to refuse testimony – applicable.
The Court ended the trial day with a reading of the ISIS article regarding the treatment of slaves in the form of so-called “FAQ”, which was mentioned in the previous hearing. The FAQ detailed 35 questions, explained in the article in depth. They included, for instance, that sexuality towards slaves was allowed, that sex with virgin slaves was permissible without restrictions, while non-virgin slaves needed to be “internally cleaned” first, that slaves are a property and can be sold off, that children cannot be separated from their mothers before puberty, that sex is only allowed with slaves that have one single owner, that pregnant slaves cannot be sold off, that slaves of another owner cannot be kissed, that sex with slaves before their puberty is allowed if they are suitable for intercourse, that two slaves can be bought as sisters, but the owner cannot have sex with both at the same time, that the beating of slaves is permissible, but not until the slave throws up, and not for the sole satisfaction of revenge or torture, that the beating of the face is not allowed, that no marriage to slaves of monotheistic religions is allowed, that Sharia laws can be applied to slaves, but only with half punishments, and that slaves can be freed.
Following the reading of the ISIS’ rules, the Court adjourned the session without further comment.
The proceedings were adjourned at 2:45 PM
The next trial day will be on October 21, 2025, at 9:30 AM.
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