Largely admitted to the charges

Three and a Half Years in Prison for ISIS Weapons Trainer

The trial at the Linz Regional Court took place under heightened security measures.(Bild: C. Handl, Krone KREATIV)

In 2016, a Syrian man who had fled to Linz worked at an ISIS training camp. According to information from the FBI, the man trained other terrorists in the use of weapons there. Although he admitted to having spent several months at the camps, he claimed he had only been repairing cars—but his story was not believed.

The incident took place some time ago: From May to November 2016, a 44-year-old man born in the Syrian city of Homs is alleged to have been a member of the terrorist group Islamic State, also known as IS. This is not merely a suspicion: “This information comes from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The defendant’s name appeared in data sheets and payroll records from the IS Ministry of Defense, which the U.S. military secured on site,” the prosecutor said on Tuesday during the trial at the Linz Regional Court.

Allegedly Trained Terrorists
In principle, the quiet, gray-haired man pleaded guilty: Yes, he had worked at an IS camp during that time—thus supporting the terrorist organization and participating in a criminal organization—which were the first two charges. However, the third charge was disputed during the trial: He is alleged to have sold weapons to IS fighters and to have trained his customers in their use. After all, he was listed several times in the documents as “mudarrib,” which means “trainer” in English. 

“Trainer Only on Paper”
The 44-year-old, who had lived with two other men in a basement apartment in Linz until his arrest, vehemently denied this: He said he had sold weapons, but only to civilians—after all, he argued, nearly every household in Syria owns a weapon for self-defense. He explained his position as “mudarrib” as follows: His late brother, who had demonstrably collaborated with ISIS as an arms dealer, as well as his neighbor, had helped him secure this classification. This earned him around 1,000 euros a month—a substantial income in this region. 

Difficult Translation
In fact, however, the trained auto mechanic had only been responsible for the fighters’ vehicles, as he asserted several times during the trial. Weapons training had been conducted exclusively by officers. After a lengthy back-and-forth and apparent significant language barriers despite the presence of an interpreter, the presiding judge had had enough.

3.5 Years in Prison
The lay judges also did not accept this defense. After a brief deliberation, the verdict was handed down: three years and six months of unconditional imprisonment. Approximately three months of pretrial detention will be credited toward his sentence. His confession, his previous clean record, and the fact that he had not come to the attention of the authorities since then were considered mitigating factors. The concurrence of three crimes, as well as the need for the sentence to serve as a deterrent, were considered aggravating factors.

Deportation Already Planned
The verdict is already final. However, it remains unclear what will happen to him next—after all, the man’s asylum application has already been denied, and his deportation has already been planned.