In the aftermath of the collapse of the Islamic State’s self-declared “caliphate,” the international community has grappled with the question of how to achieve accountability for crimes committed by the armed group. While prosecutions of captured ISIL fighters and other ISIL-affiliated individuals are occurring, they have to date overwhelmingly focused on terrorism charges, rather than charges based on the atrocity crimes directly or indirectly perpetrated by these individuals. There have been notable exceptions to this, including the landmark 2021 conviction of an ISIL member for genocide in Germany and the 2025 conviction in Stockholm of a Swedish national for genocide. Yet, many prosecutions, by not addressing the additional dimensions of the crimes committed, fall short of true accountability for the atrocities that have occurred.
To support prosecutions that reflect the atrocities committed by ISIL, additional work is needed to collect and analyze evidence relating to the structure and organization of the Islamic State. Recognizing this, the Center for Justice and Accountability engaged 15 experts over the course of two rounds of publication to conduct original research on the inner workings of ISIL. The authors of these reports are recognized inter-disciplinary experts on the Islamic State—some of whom have served as expert witnesses in U.N.-led investigations and domestic criminal proceedings. These papers are intended to serve as a summary of their research and a starting point for prosecutors and other authorities conducting investigations and building cases around crimes committed by ISIL.
Expert Papers: Volume 2 (May 2025)
Membership of the Islamic State and Other Forms of Involvement
Author: Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Analyzing the concept of ‘membership’ in ISIL – distinguishing ‘employees’, ‘supporters,’ and formal members—while exploring questions of expulsion from and quitting the organization
A Practical Approach to Understanding ISKP’s War on Minority Communities
Authors: Andrew Mines, Haroro Ingram and Abdul Wahab Azizi
Demonstrating how the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) seeks to destroy minority communities to achieve practical strategic objectives
ISKP: A Primer
Author: Charlie Winter
Exploring the ideology, recruitment, and revenue streams of ISKP through the lens of on- and offline communications
The Islamic State and the Sunni Community
Author: Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Exploring ISIL’s approach to Sunni Muslims regarded by the group as having apostatized
Abduction, Exploitation, and Trickery: Examining the Islamic State’s Recruitment and Exploitation of Minors in Central Africa
Authors: Moustafa Ayad and Amarnath Amarasingam
Outlining the expansive nature of ISCAP’s footprint in Central and Eastern Africa and specifically, the abduction, recruitment and abuse of minors as part of the Islamic State’s overarching strategy
From Allies to Foes: The Relationship between the Islamic State Movement and other Sunni Islamist Insurgents
Authors: Nadeem Elias Khan and Craig Whiteside
Tracing how ISIL moved from cooperation through competition to coercion of other armed Sunni actors in Syria
Islamic State in Libya – IS’s Third Biggest Province in 2015
Author: Inga Trauthig
Analyzing structural changes of IS in Libya over time, with new research on how the organization handled membership or organized religious education – elaborating on idiosyncrasies of the Libya province
The Major Corporal Punishments of Islamic State
Author: Nadeem Elias Khan
Examining ISIL’s penal code and legal proceedings relating to corporal punishment
Everyday Life in the Islamic State’s Wilayat al-Raqqah
Author: Aaron Y. Zelin
Examining ISIL’s administrative and bureaucratic apparatus, activities, and how they affected the daily life of local and foreign residents living under IS rule in Raqqa between 2013 and 2017
Expert Papers: Volume 1 (August 2023)
The Islamic State and its Treatment of ‘Out-Groups’: A Comparative Analysis
Author: Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Examining ISIL ideology and treatment of Shi’a, Christian, and Yazidi communities, including forced conversions and enslavement
Cubs of the Caliphate
Authors: Tore Hamming and Amarnath Amarasingam
Understanding the recruitment, indoctrination, training, and deployment of children and youth by ISIL
The Agency and Roles of Foreign Women in ISIS
Authors: Devorah Margolin and Joana Cook
Defining the complex and varied roles of the foreign women who joined ISIL
ISIL Propaganda
Author: Charlie Winter
A look into the system behind ISIL’s notorious propaganda and incitement to violence
The “Mujahid’s Bag”: Digitally Curating the Legacy of Foreign Fighter Training Materials
Author: Moustafa Ayad
Considering foreign fighter recruitment, intake, training, and deployment through an examination of materials and records in the Cloud Caliphate
Victory, Violations, and Investment: Inside Islamic State’s System of Slavery
Author: Gina Vale
ISIL’s enslavement system — its organization, implementation, and ideology
The Islamic State’s Pillage Economy: The Policy of Confiscations
Author: Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Detailing the large-scale confiscation of the moveable and immoveable property of those ISIL killed, detained, or forced out
