OLYMPIA, Wash. (Court TV) — An 18-year-old woman testified that her father choked her during a confrontation at a school bus stop after she ran away from home to avoid being sent to Iraq.
Ihsan and Zahraa Ali are charged with the attempted murder of their daughter. (Court TV)
Fatima Ali, who was 17 at the time of the incident, told the Court she fled her family home in Lacey, Washington, early on October 18, 2024, taking $100 and some belongings after learning her parents planned to send her on a one-way trip to Iraq.
“I was afraid of not returning at all,” Fatima said, explaining her concerns about the planned trip to her family’s homeland.
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Fatima’s parents, Ihsan and Zahraa Ali, are standing trial on several charges, including attempted murder, after Ihsan allegedly tried to choke their daughter outside a local high school. No video of Fatima or other underage witnesses as they testify is allowed in the trial.
Fatima testified that after leaving home around 4 a.m., she spent the morning at local stores before heading to Timberline High School, where she had previously been a student before being moved to online schooling.
The confrontation occurred later that day when Fatima and her boyfriend Isiah were waiting at the school bus stop. Fatima testified that her father approached her and began speaking to her in Arabic.
“I did not want to go back home,” Fatima said she told her father during their conversation.
Fatima described how the initially calm interaction escalated when her father grabbed her hoodie as she attempted to board a bus. She testified that her next memory was reaching for her neck.
“My dad was choking me,” Fatima said, becoming emotional on the stand. “I saw darkness at first.”
When she regained consciousness, Fatima said she was on the ground with her mother holding onto her chest and neck. She described feeling weak and having difficulty breathing.
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“I would not have been able to get away if I was alone,” Fatima said, crediting her boyfriend with helping her escape to the school office, where staff called emergency services.
Fatima testified she spent two days in the hospital with injuries including a swollen throat that made it difficult to eat or drink.
During cross-examination, defense attorneys suggested Fatima had communication issues with her parents and had not been forthcoming about her relationship with Isiah, which she kept secret because dating was not allowed in her family.
The defense also questioned Fatima about her knowledge of the Iraq trip, suggesting it was intended to obtain passports for her brother and because her mother missed family there.
This story was reported by Court TV’s Tiffany Smith and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
