From captivity to freedom: a journey of resilience and hope

Fawzia Amin Sido is a Yazidi survivor from Sinjar who was abducted by ISIS in August 2014 at the age of 11 during the attack on the Yazidi community. Following her abduction, she was taken across several countries and endured years of slavery, captivity, and human trafficking.

According to the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fawzia is originally from the Adnaniya Complex in Qahtaniya, Sinjar. She remained missing for more than ten years before being rescued and returned to Iraq in October 2024 through joint efforts by the Iraqi government, Iraqi intelligence services, and international partners.

Multiple reports indicated that Fawzia was located in Gaza prior to her rescue. Following a complex international operation, she was reunited with her family after years of suffering and captivity. Her return brought hope and relief to her loved ones after a decade of uncertainty.

Fawzia Amin Sido’s story is one of the many tragic examples of the suffering endured by Yazidi women and girls who were kidnapped during the Yazidi genocide committed by ISIS in 2014. Sadly, the fate of many abducted Yazidis remains unknown to this day.

Today, Fawzia lives in Germany, where she is rebuilding her life after years of unimaginable hardship and trauma.