Beringen IS recruiter convicted in absentia to five years imprisonment
A 55-year-old man from Beringen was convicted in absentia on Friday in Hasselt to five years imprisonment and a fine of €6,000 for his ties to the terrorist organisation Islamic State.
Beringen IS recruiter convicted in absentia to five years imprisonment
The district court in Hasselt convicted a 55-year-old man from Beringen in absentia on Friday of recruiting fighters for the terror group Islamic State. The judge imposed a sentence of five years imprisonment and a fine of €6,000. His former wife, who was present at the hearing, received 24 months suspended sentence.
The case dates from roughly ten years ago, when IS was at the height of its power. The suspect had previously come to the attention of Belgian intelligence services because he distributed propaganda messages from the terrorist organisation via online channels and leaflets on the market in Genk. In 2016 he travelled to Turkey together with his then-partner, where the couple was arrested in the city of Bursa. The prosecution alleged that they had made contact with another couple who sympathised with IS and who would guide fighters to Syria.
The man had previously received eight years imprisonment in Turkey for his involvement in IS activities. During that proceeding he chose a hundred-year prison sentence in Turkey over deportation to Morocco. In Belgium, he never received a residence permit.
His ex-wife had sold her house and emptied her bank account before leaving the country. She sent money to Turkey to finance the armed conflict and continued to send money to her former partner even after his arrest. During the trial in Hasselt, she claimed to be unaware of his contacts with IS and came up with a story about marriage plans. The magistrate found her testimony not credible. The judgment states that she gave him "unconditional moral support" as a prospective jihadist who wanted to proceed to the war zone. She has since definitively ended the relationship with the 55-year-old.
Source: Het Belang van Limburg
Source: Het Belang van Limburg