BAGHDAD: An Iraqi court has sentenced 16 Turkish women to death by hangingfor joining Daesh, a judiciary spokesman said on Sunday.

Iraq is conducting the trials of hundreds of foreign women who have beendetained, with hundreds of their children, since August by Iraqi forces asDaesh strongholds crumbled.

The central criminal court issued the sentences “after it was proven theybelong to the Daesh terrorist group and after they confessed to marryingDaesh elements or providing members of the group with logistical aid orhelping them carry out terrorist attacks,” said Judge Abdul-Sattaral-Birqdar.

All the verdicts are subject to appeal, he told Reuters.

Thousands of foreigners have fought on behalf of Daesh in Iraq and Syriasince at least 2014. Many foreign women came – or were brought – fromoverseas to join the militants.

More than 1,300 women and children surrendered to Kurdish Peshmerga inAugust, after government forces expelled the jihadist group from thenorthern Iraqi city of Tal Afar. Their numbers have since swelled to about1,700 as more foreign nationals surrendered or were captured duringoperations to root out the militants, according to aid officials.

Another Turkish woman was sentenced to death last week and 10 others ofvarious nationalities to life in prison, all for alleged Daesh membership.

A German woman was sentenced to death last month for belonging to the groupand a Russian fighter was also sentenced to death in Iraq last year forjoining the hardline group.

Iraq has handed over to Russia four women and 27 children suspected ofhaving ties to the group, the foreign ministry said on Thursday, addingthat they were “tricked” into joining the militants.

Iraq declared victory in December over Daesh, which had seized control ofnearly a third of the country in 2014. The group has been driven out of allpopulation centers it once controlled on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrianborder, but members have continued to carry out bombings and other attacksin Iraq. – Agencies