Kazakh woman is sentenced to nine years for planning to join ISIS terrorist group

A court in central Kazakhstan has sentenced a 30-year-old woman to nine years in prison on charges that she was planning to join the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in Syria.

The Qaraghandy Inter-District Specialized Court on February 6 found the defendant — identified only by her first name, Zhansaya — guilty of preparing to join a terrorist group.

Prosecutors said she planned to travel to Syria, where she intended to work as a nurse for IS militants.

It also found her guilty of trying to persuade a teenager to join a terrorist organization.

The woman, who was arrested in September, pleaded not guilty and said she had been set up by officers from Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee.

Kazakh officials say hundreds of Kazakh citizens have fought alongside IS and other militants in Syria.

Source: Rferl