A high-ranking ISIS operative, declared "arrested" on Saturday by the governor of Ankara, has now been confirmed to be at liberty, Bianet reported. The operative was put on trial for “human trafficking” for kidnapping a Kurdish Yazidi girl and subsequently offering her for sale on the dark web.

Arzu Kurt, co-chair of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) Ankara Branch, revealed that the ISIS leader, identified as S.A.O, was called in for questioning following a hearing on October 23. After providing a statement to the authorities under the guidance of his attorney, appointed by the Ankara Bar Association, S.A.O. was released, according to the report.

S.A.O. did not attend or was brought to court sessions for approximately two years, according to Kurt. However, he appeared to give a statement after reports emerged that the child had been handed over to the family that had abducted her, leading to questions about why the authorities did not obtain his statement earlier.

During the hearing on October 23, the court imposed restrictions, citing the need to protect the child's personal information from being disclosed in the media. This decision has been criticized for attempting to shield the case from public scrutiny and awareness.

ÖHD’s Kurt emphasized that the child, who had been compelled to live with the family responsible for her abduction for nearly eight years, was once again placed under state protection.

This revelation follows earlier statements by the Ankara Governor’s Office, which announced S.A.O.'s arrest after news of the Yazidi girl's alleged return to the family that abducted her. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Family and Social Services disclosed that the child, A.S.O., was placed under state protection during the operation at the same residence.