Iraq sentences ISIS terrorist to 15 years in jail over helping the terrorist group

An Iraqi criminal court has sentenced a member of the Islamic State (IS) group to 15 years in jail over helping the extremist group in the northern province of Nineveh.

“The convict was found guilty of digging tunnels in Mosul city to help IS militants move smoothly and carry out terrorist attacks,” Alghad Press quoted the media service of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council as saying in a statement Monday.

The court issued its ruling in a public trial pursuant to article no. 4 of the anti-terrorism law, added the statement.

Iraq’s anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks.

On Sunday, the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad sentenced 19 Russian women to life in prison for joining and supporting the IS group.

Judicial sources told AFP earlier this month that Iraqi courts sentenced to death a total of more than 300 people, including dozens of foreigners, for belonging to IS.

Experts believe that Iraq is holding 20,000 people in jail over suspected IS membership, however, there is no official figure.

Iraq declared military victory over IS militants in December after they took over nearly one third of Iraq in a 2014 offensive and seized control of the country’s second largest city of Mosul.

Source: Iraqi News