September 9, 2021
-Big League Politics
Peoria, Arizona police arrested six members of an Iraqi family for an alleged kidnapping plot targeting a relative in a relationship with a non-Muslim man last month, in an incident familiar to accounts of ‘honor killings’ in Europe and America.
Six members of the Alfartousi family are accused of attempting to kidnap a 20-year old pregnant relative on several occasions, with police suspecting they intended to send the victim back to Iraq. In an incident at a medical facility in Avondale, Arizona, the victim of the alleged plot describes being ambushed, with her relatives taking her purse, phone and her boyfriend’s gun.
The alleged attempted kidnapping involved the young woman’s father, her mother, a sister and three brothers.
In an earlier incident at a hotel, the victim’s brother allegedly grabbed her in a bear hug, only relenting when her boyfriend confronted him with a gun. In court documents, the victim’s boyfriend also recounts receiving threatening voicemails from the victim’s brother, in which he threatened to kidnap the boyfriend’s 15-year old sister.
“This is Ali, her brother. If you don’t bring my sister back, I’m going to kidnap your sister. I’m not scared of your American laws,” Ali Fartousi allegedly threatened in the voicemail.
In most disturbing fashion, the Alfartousi family is accused of an attempt to beat their exogamous relative when she arrived for a doctor’s appointment. The beating attempt may have represented an attempt at forcible abortion.
“Ali, Yaser, Zahraa, Souad and Fares pulled the victim into a vehicle and began punching her in the stomach. Two witnesses in the parking lot came to the aid of the victim allowing her to escape,” reads a witness statement in court documents detailing the charges against six Alfartousi family members.
The charged include:
- Ali Alfartousi, 33
- Bashir Alfartousi, 36
- Fares Alfartousi, 63
- Souad Alfartousi, 59
- Yaser Alfartousi, 35
- Zahraa Alfartousi, 31
The family members, described as “traditional Muslims,” each face criminal charges of kidnapping, with five also facing charges of aggravated robbery.
The victim and her boyfriend describe filing 20 police reports as they faced continual harassment from the Alfartousi family.
