ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A young Kurdish Yezidi woman who was held as a hostage at the home of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the top leader of the so-called Islamic State, has told her story to Rudaw.
The 21-year-old woman, whose name has been changed to Aveen for this report, is originally from Shingal. She said she was abducted when ISIS attacked the area. Later, she was taken to Baghdadi's house where she was held for 20 days.
"Baghdadi is a very calm person and had a very different life. He read a lot and spoke to me in English,” she told Rudaw.
Rudaw has learned that at least 13 Kurdish Yezidi women were taken to Baghdadi's home in Raqqa, Syria.
Aveen said that after the fall of Shingal, she and her family hid for five days in an abandoned house.
When ISIS fighters found them they were transferred to Tal-Afar where they spent several days at a school with many other Yezidi families. Aveen stood out from the hundreds of other Kurdish Yezidi hostages because of her blue eyes and blonde hair.
"On August 14, [2014] some of ISIS militants arrived at the school in Tal-Afar and separated some 60 girls and with three buses we were transferred to Syria. When we arrived to Syria, they took us to a big hall,” she told Rudaw.
Aveen continued: “One evening, they announced that the caliph is coming. At that time we had no idea who the caliph was. We saw a man with a long beard arrive in the room and look around. When he went out, they called me with two other girls and took us away.”
Aveen said this is when her 20 days at Baghdadi's house began.
"They took me with two other girls, and after 20 minutes we reached Raqqa. We arrived to a nice-looking house but there was no ISIS flag or guards around the house. At that time, we realized he is the leader of the organization, and he told us you will serve this place.”
“Not many people visited [the home] and they ordered food. The food was very tasty. Baghdadi would come home at midnight,” she added.
"He was a very calm person. He never raised his voice. He had a private room with a computer and Internet connection. We knew there was everything at that room but we were told not to go there.”
Aveen said there was an old woman working at the house and another Arab woman with two other children around the age of 10 to 14. She said she learned that the Arab woman was Baghdadi’s wife.
"One evening, I asked the old woman if she can save me and she said, 'I am afraid they will kill me.” We escaped but we were not aware how close we were to ISIS bases. We were caught and transferred to a prison. There were a British and an American woman in the prison, but we had no idea that they were journalists,” she said.
By Aveen's account, when Baghdadi learned she had been recaptured, he ordered her back to the house.
"I went back to Baghdadi and this time I was watched closely.”
After some time, Aveen escaped for a second time.
"One evening, Baghdadi and his guards left home suddenly and I felt like there was no one at home. I went out a window and I kept on walking until I reached a village. I approached a family in a village, and they were treated me as a servant.”
In November 2014, she manged to call her family and escape.
"The family trusted me. I would go out and buy stuff for them. With the financial help of the Kurdistan Regional Government I managed to reach Turkey and then arrived in Kurdistan,” she said.
After arriving in the Kurdistan region, Aveen realized how important Baghdadi is in the terror organization.
“When I see photos and videos of him, I get very scared. Even now, I am scared. With the support of an international organization I will fly to Europe and will never come back.”
A few months after Aveen was rescued her sister was also saved. The fate of her parents and three brothers is still unknown.
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