BERLIN: A court in Germany on Tuesday convicted five men for membership in a local cell of the Daesh group that received orders from a leading Daesh figure in Afghanistan.
The Duesseldorf regional court sentenced the Tajik nationals, aged 25 to 34, to lengthy prison terms.
The longest sentence of nine years and six months was handed to Sunatullokh K., whose surname wasn’t released due to German privacy rules. He was also convicted of planning to kill a man who had made critical comments about Islam. The attack was foiled by authorities.
The other men, identified as Muhammadali G., Azizjon B., Farhodshoh K. and Komron B., received prison sentences of between 44 months and 8.5 years for membership to a terrorist organization, with some also convicted of involvement in plans to carry out a contract killing in Albania that was later abandoned.
Another man, Ravsan B., was convicted by the same court last year of membership in Daesh for co-founding the German cell and supporting two planned attacks. He was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Prosecutors said the men honed their military skills in paintball games, and that participants in those included “other people from the [extremist] scene” who were in contact with the gunman who killed four people in an attack in Vienna in November 2020. They also allegedly acquired components for an “unconventional” bomb.
Federal prosecutors had sought prison terms of between four and 12 years for the men. Their lawyers had asked the court to acquit them.
Extremists convicted of membership in German Daesh cell
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Extremists convicted of membership in German Daesh cell
- vThe Duesseldorf regional court sentenced the Tajik nationals, aged 25 to 34, to lengthy prison terms
UK Police arrest 86 people at prison protest for Palestine Action hunger striker
- Demonstration outside Wormwood Scrubs held in support of Umer Khalid
- Khalid 1 of 5 people charged in connection with break-in at RAF base last year
LONDON: A protest outside a prison in the UK in support of a man detained for supporting the banned group Palestine Action has led to the arrest of 86 people.
London’s Metropolitan Police said a group of demonstrators breached the grounds of Wormwood Scrubs prison in the capital, refused to leave when ordered to do so, and threatened officers. They were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
The group, several of whom attempted to gain access to the prison itself, were protesting in support of Umer Khalid, who is currently on hunger strike at the facility.
Khalid is one of five people charged in relation to a break-in by Palestine Action members at an RAF base at Brize Norton last year, in which two military aircraft were damaged.
Khalid, who denies the charges, is one of several people who are on or who have taken part in hunger strikes in recent months, all of whom have been held on similar charges for over a year without their cases being brought to trial.
A spokesperson for the UK’s Ministry of Justice said: “The escalation of the protest at HMP Wormwood Scrubs is completely unacceptable. While we support the right to peacefully protest, reports of trespassing and threats being made to staff and police officers are deeply concerning.
“At no point was prison security compromised. However, where individuals’ actions cause risk or actual harm to hardworking staff, this will not be taken lightly and those responsible can expect to face consequences.
“Prisoners are being managed in line with longstanding policy. This includes regular checks by medical professionals, heart monitoring and blood tests, and support to help them eat and drink again. If deemed appropriate by healthcare teams, prisoners will be taken to hospital.”
