Greek Court Jails Syrian Asylum Seeker for Islamic State Membership

Macedonia
BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A court in northern Greece has convicted a Syrian refugee of having been a fighter with the Islamic State group in Syria, and sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment.

The Komotini court acquitted the man Monday of murder and explosives-related charges concerning his alleged activities with the group, his lawyer said.

The 33-year-old has not been identified pending his appeal.

The man denied any link with IS, saying he had belonged to the Free Syrian Army armed opposition group.

He was arrested in October after applying for asylum in Greece, when authorities found pictures of military activity on his mobile phone.

The man entered Greece as a refugee from Turkey with his wife and two children, reaching the Aegean Sea island of Leros by boat in 2016.

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