Lamia Haji Bashar: A Yazidi Icon of Resilience

At the age of 16, Lamia was abducted by ISIS from her village of Kocho in Sinjar, northern Iraq. She endured two years of captivity, torture, and being sold into slavery, yet she refused to surrender.

During her fifth escape attempt in 2016, a landmine exploded, killing her companions. Lamia suffered severe burns and lost her right eye. Despite her injuries, she continued walking until she finally reached freedom.

Lamia went on to become a global voice against terrorism and was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament. With a face bearing the scars of freedom, she proved to the world that the human spirit can never be defeated. 🕊️