Dutch court convicts four jihadists fighting in Syria

At least 260 Dutch citizens have left the Netherlands for Syria and Iraq to join fighters there; 40 have since returned

By AFP 22 July 2016, 5:55 pm

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Syrian civilians react following a reported air strike by Syrian government forces on the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib, July 20, 2016. (AFP Photo/Omar haj kadour)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Friday sentenced four men to six years in jail in absentia for joining jihadist groups fighting in Syria and Iraq.

“The court found that the men joined the Islamic State group, Jabhat al-Nusra or other jihadist groups,” the district court in The Hague said in a statement.

“All the men have been convicted of being part of a criminal organisation with terrorist aims,” it said.

The men, all in their 20s, are believed to still be in Syria. One was found guilty of joining a jihadist training camp, while three were convicted of incitement to terrorism.

An Amsterdam court in December convicted six Dutch men of belonging to a network recruiting young Muslims to join the Islamic State group, handing them jail terms of up to six years.

At least 260 Dutch citizens have left the Netherlands for Syria and Iraq to join fighters there, according to the Dutch National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV).

About 40 have since come home, while another 42 are believed to have been killed in the fighting.