Iraq sentences seven French nationals for belonging to Islamic State
Six men received life sentences, which mean 20 years in Iraq, and one got 15 years. They were transferred from Syria last year.
Symbolic image · Photo: Synaps commons / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
An Iraqi court has sentenced seven French nationals for belonging to the Islamic State group, Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council said on Oct. 27. Six men received life imprisonment, which equals 20 years under Iraqi law, and a 24-year-old defendant was sentenced to 15 years. The court called them "particularly dangerous because of their role in threatening Iraq's national security." They have 30 days to appeal, and the Court of Cassation reviews such verdicts automatically.
The seven are among 47 French citizens suspected of IS links who were held in Syria until last year and then transferred to Iraq. Iraq holds thousands of suspected IS members, including more than 5,700 moved from northeastern Syria after clashes in January. It is unclear whether those convicted could be repatriated to France. Representatives of the French embassy attended the hearing.