Two aides of the jihadist organization IS have been sentenced to suspended imprisonment in the German city of Stuttgart. Earlier, six women brought back from Syria were taken into custody for supporting the IS. The Stuttgart High Court found both the accused guilty of helping the terrorist organization abroad. One of the accused was also convicted of financial aid to terrorism. The 44-year-old accused was given two years of suspended imprisonment, while the 30-year-old accused was given 20 months of suspended imprisonment. Germany has a provision for suspended imprisonment, in which the accused remains outside the prison on a bond but is considered a convicted person. For committing any other offence, he also has to serve a suspended sentence of jail. The court says that both the accused were part of a jihadist circle in the southern Baden area since about 2011 that has been involved in religious conversion, Apart from immigration and jihad, he was involved in activities like monitoring political events in Syria.
Two people from this circle went to Syria in 2013 to fight with IS. The two then sent 8,000 euros to IS fighters. Both the accused have confessed to their crime and the court expects that they will not commit any further offences. Women brought back from Syria into custody Earlier, 8 German women and 23 children were brought back to Germany from captivity in a Kurdish detention center in Syria. These women had gone to Syria some time ago to support the jihadist organization IS. and living in Kurdish detention centers after the fall of IS. Six of them were taken into custody as soon as they arrived in Germany. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the return of the women and children was carried out in cooperation with Denmark, while the US provided logistical support.
The German foreign minister said that the children were innocent, they were caught in this situation for no fault of theirs. Maas said, "Children are not responsible for their own situation. Mothers will have to answer for their actions." Criminal investigations are underway against the arrested women. Security sources told Germany's news agency DPA that arrest warrants had been issued against the six women. The foreign minister said the children were returned. It is important to make every effort to "provide safety and a better environment to live in". The Ministry of External Affairs says, "Children have a special need for protection. Youth welfare officers are investigating where the children can be kept. Some still have legal guardians in Germany" Where were these women in Syria The women and their children were held in a Kurdish detention camp in the Rose area of northeastern Syria before returning to Germany.
Last month it was reported that two children were dying every week in the detention camps in Rose and Al-Hol. Families of IS fighters were moved to these centers after the terror group's final uprooting in Baghouz, marking the downfall of Islamic State in the region. Governments in Western countries have been grappling with the question of what to do with civilians and their families who have joined IS since the fall of Islamic State in March 2019. There has been a level of reluctance in these countries to accept the return of those who have joined the terrorist group. These concerns were especially high given the potential threat from them and negative public opinion. In Germany, many people have already been tried on suspicion of having returned from the path of terrorism and some other charges..
