On Monday, the Antwerp Correctional Tribunal found seven Muslim women guilty of participating in terrorist activities. Four of them have joined the Islamic State in Syria, and were sentenced to five years in prison and a 15,000 euro fine. The Tribunal ordered that they will be placed under immediate arrest. The other three, who are still in Belgium, were sentenced to 30 months, suspended or not, and suspended fines. Besime C., Yassmina M., Selin Y. and Fatima B. left for Syria in March 2014.
All four are married to Syrian fighters and members of the Islamic State’s women’s battalions. Yassmina’s sister, Hakima M., did not go to Syria as her passport was not valid. She was intercepted at Zaventem airport in May, trying to leave the country with a minor. Hakima M. denied being involved in terrorist activities, but the Tribunal didn’t believe her. She was a member of several organisations that radicalised young Muslim women, and organised charity events to finance her own and a minor’s departures.
The two fugitives briefly stayed at Rosalina.G’s house in Brussels while they waited to leave. The latter also denied involvement, but the Tribunal proved she was implicated in the departure of several Syrian fighters. She also organised a collection for Hakima and the minor’s departures.
Finally, Naima A.A. took Fatima B. to Dusseldorf airport. Fatima’s sister is married to Naima’s son in Syria, so the Tribunal considered it was inconceivable that Naima didn’t know Fatima wanted to go to Syria.
Naima A.A was sentenced to twenty months in prison and a 3,000 euro fine, both suspended. Hakima M. and Rosalina G. were sentenced to 30 months in prison, one year without probation, and a 6,000 suspended fine.
(Source: Belga)
