A Paris court has jailed seven men who went to Syria for "Islamic State" training, including the brother of a Bataclan concert hall attacker. Belgium has extradited to France two suspects linked to November's attack.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Meyer
Advertisement
Prison terms of six to nine years were imposed Wednesday on seven young men from Strasbourg who in late 2013 traveled to Syria where they were trained for weeks by the extremist "Islamic State" (IS) militia.
The nine-year term went to Karim Mohamed-Aggad, whose younger brother Foued was among the assailants killed while taking the lives of 90 rock-concertgoers in Paris' Bataclan hall on November 13.
In total, 130 people were killed on that night in multiple attacks across central Paris.
The seven jailed Wednesday after a two-month trial were among a group of 10 with family origins in North Africa, which had left France for Syria in December 2013. Some claimed later they did so for humanitarian reasons.
Two others died shortly after arriving in Syria. The others, except Foued, had returned to France in March and April 2014 and were arrested in May of that year.
Foued Mohamed-Aggad returned later to France for the November 13 attacks.
'Active interest in jihadism'
The court said Karim Mohamed-Aggad had shown an "active interest in jihadism."
His lawyer, Francoise Cotta, told reporters that he had "suffered" on sentencing because of his family name.
Public prosecutors had demanded 10 years for Karim Mohamed-Aggad on the formal charges of criminal association with a view to commit acts of terrorism. They described him as one of the ringleaders.
During the trial, the prosecution had cited evidence gathered from wiretaps and from "jihad" documents found in the suspect's computers and mobile phones.
Belgium: Young Muslims joining the jihad
04:36
This browser does not support the video element.
Belgium sends suspects to France
In a parallel move Wednesday, Belgium transferred to France two men who allegedly helped the top surviving suspect from November's attacks, Salah Abdeslam.
Paris prosecutors identified the pair transferred as Mohammed Amri and Ali Oulkadi.
Amri is accused of picking up Salah Abdeslam in Paris after the attacks and bringing him to Belgium. Oulkadi is alleged to have dropped him off at a Brussels "safe house" used as a workshop to make explosive belts.
Last week, Belgium transferred a suspected accomplice of Amri, Hamza Attou, who was also present when Abdeslam was brought back from Paris.
Abdeslam was arrested in Brussels in March after four months in hiding and was extradited to France, where a first hearing took place in May.
What is 'IS'?
Ravaging Syria and Iraq, the terrorist organization "Islamic State" frequently makes it into the news due to its brutality. But who are they? And how strong are they? We've compiled answers to the most important FAQs.
What is 'Islamic State'?
A breakaway from terrorist organization al Qaeda, "Islamic State" is a Sunni militant group that is believed to have formed in response to disillusionment and frustration due to the failed rule of governments in Syria and Iraq. Its flag reads "Muhammad is the prophet of God" and "There is no god apart from Allah" - lines that are valid for all Muslims, not just "IS."
Image: AP
Where is the 'Islamic State' active?
The "Islamic State" aims to create a "caliphate" - a state where the traditional values of Islam and Sharia law must be adhered to. Due to the instability of regions in Syria and Iraq, the "Islamic State" has been able to capture land in the two countries.
What makes the 'Islamic State' different?
A key difference is the brutality "Islamic State" has used to strike fear into its enemies and innocents by cruel beheadings and ruthless violence. In contrast to this, it is said to govern the regions it takes over. As Middle East expert Shadi Hamid told PBS: "They provide social services. They run local government. They provide some modicum of law and order."
Image: gebphotography - Fotolia.com
How does 'Islamic State' relate to other terrorist groups?
Though "IS" is active in Syria and Iraq, the Nigerian terrorist organization Boko Haram recently declared its support. It's like a competition in cruelty: while Boko Haram is responsible for 13,000 deaths, "IS" has injured or killed at least 24,000 people. Terrorist group al Qaeda has distanced itself from "IS" with its offshoot Nusra Front even fighting against "IS".
Image: Getty Images/A. Katib
What about its followers?
Something else that distinguishes the "IS" is its followers. More than 20,000 foreign fighters have joined the group, with more than 4,000 come from Western Europe and North America, according to an ICSR report. Here are the countries where most people have gone to fight. But, there are more fighters per capita heading to fight from some smaller countries like Sweden and Belgium.
What are Western governments doing to stop 'Islamic State'?
Since August 2014, a US-led coalition has carried out airstrikes on "Islamic State" targets in Syria (1,422 strikes) and Iraq (2,242 strikes), according to a BBC report. Some governments have also been active within their own countries: Germany is set to prosecute at least 30 suspected militants returning from Syria, while Saudi Arabia, for example, arrested 93 suspected militants in April 2015.
