Mourad Fares, 35, fled Syria in 2014, and was arrested in Turkey and handed over to French authorities the same year. Prosecutors said he played a “crucial” role in the recruiting of young people to fight as jihadists in Syria, and noted a lack of any “real regret” for his actions. He admitted to the court he “indirectly” recruited youths to fight as jihadists via his propaganda videos and “facilitated” the entry of a number of people into Syria. France has been on high alert since a wave of jihadist attacks that began in 2015 which have killed more than 250 people. Dozens of French citizens left to join IS in Syria and Iraq before US-led coalition forces dislodged the insurgents from their so-called “caliphate” last year.

Source: The Guardian January 25, 2020 12:56 UTC