Iraqi criminal court sentenced Belgian Islamic State member to death

An Iraqi criminal court sentenced on Tuesday a Belgian member of the Islamic State to death for involvement with the group and threatening attacks in Europe.

Tarek Jadoun, aka Abu Hamza al-Baljiki, of a Moroccan origin, was sentenced to death by the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad, said Abdul-Sattar al-Bayraqdar, a spokesperson of the High Judicial Council.

He pleaded innocent of the charges at the opening of his trial in May 10th.

According to Bayraqdar, al-Baljiki was found guilty of involvement in IS operations, as well as acting as a trainer for the group’s so-called “Cubs of the Caliphate”, a division of underage fighters.

Iraq has sentenced several foreign nationals to death and life in prison over operating with the militant group which occupied a third of the country in 2014 to establish a self-styled “caliphate” rule. Iraq declared the recapture of all territories under the group’s control in December 2017.

In November, the newspaper of the Iraqi judicial council published an interrogation of Jadoun, in which he elaborated on his induction into IS and promotion through its ranks.

Source: Iraqi News