Captivated Yazidi Woman Who Spent Over a Decade Under ISIS Rule Gets Liberated in Gaza
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) declared on a Thursday that Fawzia Amin Sido had been released in a joint operation with the United States and international actors, which took place this week.
Fawzia then spoke to CNN, sharing that she was now back in Iraq after experiencing years of imprisonment.
She explained that she was abducted as a child by ISIS in August 2014, when the extremist group seized the city of Sinjar in northern Iraq's Nineveh Governorate. During this time, they carried out horrific acts, such as executing Yazidi men and boys, committing sexual violence and rape against women and girls, along with various other atrocities.
Over the subsequent years, she was transported to various locations across different countries.
As she stated, they ended up in Al-Hol camp (in Syria) in 2019, before being smuggled to Idlib. From there, she went to Turkey. In 2020, she acquired a passport in Turkey, enabling her to travel from Istanbul to Hurghada, Egypt, and then to Gaza.
She further shared that she spent a year in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, a place which she found almost unbearable to live.
Hamas, she said, continuously harassed her due to her Yazidi background and contact with her family, even going to the extent of erasing the contents of her phone during their investigations. After a year, she was transferred to a guest house.
During the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict, she was again moved about frequently until October 1, when she claimed an NGO saved her.
The IDF stated that her captor was likely killed during IDF strikes in Gaza, enabling her to escape to a hideout, where she was rescued and taken to the Kerem Shalom border crossing.
Fawzia did not mention a strike while discussing her ordeal with CNN, instead stating that she was rescued by an NGO, the name of which she couldn't recall, in Rafah.
“From there, American officials assisted me and helped return me to Baghdad,” she said.
Israel shared a video of her rejoining her family members, who emotionally embraced her.
Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that she was freed after close to five months of coordinated efforts between Iraqi government agencies, the US, and Jordanian authorities.
The US State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, confirmed that the US helped evacuate Fawzia from Gaza. He supported Israel's account, saying, “Recent events resulted in her captor’s demise, enabling her to escape.”
He added that, following contact by the Iraqi government, informing them of her escape, survival, and desire to return to her family, the US took action to assist with her extraction from Gaza and return home to her family. This was achieved after working closely with regional partners over several weeks.
Fawzia's harrowing journey took her to various countries in the Middle East, including Syria, Idlib, and Turkey.
The international community, including the United States, played a crucial role in her eventual return to her home in the Middle East.
