US sanctions two Islamic State leaders for crimes of sexual violence, kidnapping and enslavement

June 21 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Secretary of the United States Department of State, Antony Blinken, has sanctioned this Tuesday two members of the Islamic State terrorist group for having committed crimes of sexual violence mainly against Yezidis women, as well as being responsible for their kidnapping and enslavement.

“The State Department has designated two Islamic State leaders as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under Executive Order 13224,” the statement read.

One of those sanctioned is the senior military commander Arkan Ahmad Abbas al Matuti, alias ‘Abu Sarhan’, who held various positions within the Islamic State section in Syria and was involved in the sale of Yazidi women and girls, in addition to taking as sexual slaves for himself to many others.

The other terrorist is Nawaf Ahmad Alwan al Rashidi, alias ‘Abu Faris’, for being “responsible for sexual slavery and rape against Yazidi women in Iraq”; In addition, he was the administrator of Islamic State payments to members involved in smuggling operations, and planner and coordinator of attacks in Syria between 2018 and 2019.

“As a result of these actions, all property and interests in property of the persons designated today that are subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and all US persons are generally prohibited from transacting with the designated persons,” according to the statement, which also reports that more than 2,700 women and children, mainly Yazidis, are missing.

Islamic State carried out a massacre in northern Iraq in 2014 against the Sinjar region, in the north of the country, where more than 9,000 members of the Yazidi community were kidnapped and killed.