Brother jailed for funding sister who joined Islamic State terrorist group

A British man who sent money to his sister in Syria after she joined the Islamic State (IS) group has been jailed.

Salim Wakil, 25, transferred a payment of £2,500 to his sister Sumaiyyah but previously told the Old Bailey his intention was to help her return to the UK.

He was found guilty at a trial last month of funding terrorism.

Wakil, of Fleet, Hampshire, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Judge Rebecca Poulet QC said Salim Wakil had suffered from serious mental health problems and had been assessed to be “compliant” and “biddable”.

“In my judgement your sister knew this and I believe she manipulated your reasonable and understandable worries,” she added.

Sumaiyyah Wakil fled abroad aged 16 in August 2014, leaving the family at night.

The court was told she initially approached another of her brothers for cash and after he refused, she asked Salim.

Salim also initially refused but he accepted transferring a payment to Sumaiyyah in 2017.

Instead of returning to the UK she remained in Syria and later asked for more money, jurors heard.

Sumaiyyah is understood to still be alive and has married two British IS fighters while in Syria including 19-year-old Mehdi Hassan who was later killed.

She used Skype, WhatsApp and encrypted messaging apps to correspond with her family, her brother’s trial was told.

The judge said she accepted Salim Wakil had “held a genuine desire” to get his sister away from danger.

She added: “Despite all these significant matters in mitigation, I have a duty to follow the sentencing guidelines and to make it clear to others that sending money or other property which will support a terrorist cause cannot be tolerated.”

Det Ch Supt Kath Barnes, head of Counter Terrorism Policing South East, previously said Salim Wakil had been “manipulated” by his sister into sending her money “which could very easily be used for terrorism purposes”.

Source: BBC