Woman given death sentence for joining IS

An Iraqi court has sentenced a Turkish woman to death by hanging for joining Islamic State, a spokesman for the criminal court in Baghdad says.

Ten other women of various nationalities were sentenced to life in prison, he said. All the verdicts can be appealed.

"The court has issued 10 verdicts of life in prison against ten women after convicting them of terrorism, and sentenced to death by hanging another terrorist who holds Turkish citizenship," said Judge Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar.

Thousands of foreigners have been fighting on behalf of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

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

Iraq declared victory in December over Islamic State, which had seized control of nearly a third of the country in 2014.