Thread by @jenanmoussa

1/ ISIS files I found in Syria show slavery of Yazidis much more institutionalized than previously known.

Docs reveal:

ISIS paid fighters $50 p/m per slave
ISIS Human Resources booklets give number of slaves
ISIS Ministry of Health cards mention nbr of slaves

#ISISfiles 👇👇👇

External Tweet loading...
If nothing shows, it may have been deleted
by @akhbar view original on Twitter

2/ I found ISIS receipt book with “records of financial support for Mujahid”. It shows monthly salary each fighter gets from ISIS, based on family situation.

Receipt book shows ISIS fighter gets $50 per month if he has a slave &$35 if he has child of a slave.

@akhbar #ISISfiles

3/ I also found booklet issued by "ISIS Human Resources department". Booklet must be carried by all ISIS administrative workers.

In it workers had to answers questions like: How much furniture, weapons did u get from ISIS? Also: How many slaves do u have?

@akhbar #ISISfiles

4/ Among #ISISfiles I found in Syria is a card with title "lack of disease card", issued by ISIS Health Ministry. Everybody who wanted to marry in ISIS territory had to fill out one.

Questions on card include: Name, country of origin, number of wives &number of slaves.

@akhbar

5/ Also found pamphlet of “ISIS committee of Research &Fatwa”.

It includes 6 reasons for enslaving women &children. “Enslavement breaks the woman psychologically, makes her choose Islam by force or choice."

This doc already known but again found near Raqqa.

@akhbar #ISISfiles

6/ After collapse of ISIS in Syria/Iraq, many arrested ISIS members now want to whitewash their role &claim they had no idea slavery existed in ISIS.

But the #ISISfiles I found show slavery is very much widespread in ISIS ranks.

ISIS institutionalized slavery.

@akhbar

7/ Based on #ISISfiles I found, these people in ISIS territory knew about slavery:
-ISIS fighters
-ISIS financial officials
-ISIS administrative workers
-ISIS Human Resources department
-ISIS Ministry of Health (doctors, nurses..)
-Civilian couples wanting to get married
@akhbar

8/ Let me explain now how I found the #ISISfiles.

In 2017 @haralddoornbos and I were in Tabqa (80km west of Raqqa).

Not easy to find ISIS documents because the group destroys it before they retreat. Or U.S. special forces arrive before reporters &take it to gather info.

9/ But we were lucky. Locals in Tabqa told us that during ISIS times there was an ISIS court located in the Omar ibn al Khattab mosque (location: bit.ly/2uaUGSL ).

People connected to the mosque let us in &said many ISIS documents were still there.

@akhbar #ISISfiles

10/ We then entered the mosque. Locals opened a cupboard that had 1000's of #ISISfiles. They let us take it with us. Unfortunately we couldn't carry everything; it was too much.

We then quickly left because Tabqa wasn't very safe- ISIS cells around. Pic of me in mosque. @akhbar

11/ Inside the mosque stood a huge sword. Locals explained to us it was used by ISIS to chop off heads, hands, feet.

One man took sword &put it on neck of his friend &demonstrated how people were beheaded during ISIS time.

It was a very eerie atmosphere.

#ISISfiles @akhbar

12/ Eventually we left Tabqa with 5000+ #ISISfiles in bags.

It took us months to copy all files &go thru them, categorize &understand the content.

Files consisted of tel numbers, names, pics, court cases, notes, etc. Of course not all is publishable.

#ISISfiles @akhbar

13/ Yazidi member of Iraqi parliament @VianDakhil speaks to @akhbar about the importance of #ISISfiles I found in Tabqa, says these documents could be used in Iraqi courts to prosecute Daesh members.

External Tweet loading...
If nothing shows, it may have been deleted
by @akhbar view original on Twitter

14/ Grateful for prominent Human Rights lawyer Amal Clooney (a fellow countrywoman, we're both Lebanese! ) for commenting on our story, urging the UN team to head to the ground in Syria/Iraq &collect evidence before it's destroyed. @akhbar #ISISfiles

15/ Dutch member of parliament @Martijncda comments on the ISIS documents I found in Syria. Says: "If documents show that slavery was institutionalized then it will be easier for us to prosecute ISIS returnees to Europe."

External Tweet loading...
If nothing shows, it may have been deleted
by @akhbar view original on Twitter

16/ Thank you all for reacting, sharing and taking interest in my story on the #ISISfiles related to the enslavement of Yazidis I found in Syria. Much much appreciated. Thank you very much.