Iraqi court orders retrial of French woman on terror charges

An Iraqi court has ordered the retrial of a French woman as she was found to have links with the Islamic State (IS) group, a judicial source was quoted as saying.

Melina Bougedir, 27, was wary that her husband was an Islamic State fighter, however, she did not oppose to enter Iraq with him, the source told AFP.

Under the Iraqi law, Bougedir might be sentenced to death on the new terror-related charges, the source said, adding that the retrial is scheduled next month.

Bougedir was arrested last year in Mosul city along with her four children, three of whom have already been repatriated to France, as she stood trial for entering Iraq illegally.

In February, the criminal court ordered Bougedir to be departed for France after serving a seven-year jail term.

Last week, the Central Criminal Court sentenced three Azerbaijanis and one Kergyz to death, while issuing a life sentence for two Russians and a French national over affiliation with Islamic State group.

Iraq is holding hundreds of foreign wives and children of Islamic State militants who were captured as Iraqi forces gradually seized back territories held by the extremist group since 2014. The government declared victory over IS last December.

Source: Iraqi News