Belarusian-Israeli convert to Islam convicted of trying to join IS

27 December 2017, 1:59 pm

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A Belarusian-Israeli convert to Islam is convicted by the Nazareth District Court of three criminal counts after he attempted to join the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria.

Valentin Vladimir Mazlevski, 40, was arrested nearly a year ago while trying to travel to Syria via Turkey. He is convicted of contact with a foreign agent, attempting to travel to an enemy country, and obstruction of justice.

Mazlevski is from the Arab Israeli town of Shibli–Umm al-Ghanam, his wife’s hometown. The father of five moved to Israel from Belarus in 1996 at age 18 and converted to Islam four years later, while he was serving in the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet said in its indictment.

— Dov Lieber