Iraqi MP Viyan Dakhil slams interview with ex-ISIS leader’s wife, demands justice for Yazidi victims

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Member of Parliament Viyan Dakhil has issued a scathing rebuke of a recent interview with the wife of slain former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, criticizing its portrayal of her and her family as innocent victims.

Dakhil demanded justice for the Yazidi community, which she is a member of, and which suffered atrocities including genocide and enslavement at the hands of ISIS.

Speaking out against the pan-Arab news channel Al-Arabiya TV interview with Asma, Baghdadi’s first wife, Dakhil argued she was far from the “virtuous woman” depicted on television. Instead, Dakhil asserted that Asma, also known as Umm Khalid, held the dubious title of the second most powerful figure in ISIS, directly involved in the organization’s atrocities.

Dakhil further claimed that Asma participated in meetings led by Baghdadi, even selecting Yazidi women from prisons for sexual assault. She recounted a specific instance where Asma allegedly abused a Yazidi survivor, Siham, and even urged Baghdadi to harm her further. Siham kept a diary documenting her experiences in ISIS captivity.

Dakhil also refuted Asma’s televised claim of being rescued from ISIS territory by a Peshmerga officer, which the MP dismissed as fabrication and evidence of the woman’s skill in manipulation.

Maintaining close contact with Yazidi survivors like Siham, Dakhil rejected Asma’s narrative as “outright lies” that contradict the suffering endured by victims. She emphasized Asma’s fluency in English and her role in managing foreign terrorists for ISIS, making her a vital cog in the organization’s machinery.

Dakhil called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa’ Al-Sudani to take action against Asma, specifically highlighting her involvement in preparing Yazidi captives for sexual assault and condemning the supposed public sympathy garnered by Asma after her interview.

Acknowledging potential challenges, Dakhil announced plans to file complaints against Asma and her daughter in European courts and expressed confidence in the Iraqi judiciary’s commitment to delivering justice for those who suffered under ISIS’s reign of terror.