NOS News•
Four Dutch women have been sentenced to prison terms by the court in Rotterdam because they were members of IS and had committed preparatory acts for a terrorist crime.
The women traveled to war zones in Syria and Iraq, where they joined the Islamic State. Their husbands were also members. They received shelter and wages from the terrorist organization.
The women were sentenced to 2.5 years in prison, of which 1 year was suspended, to 3 years, of which 1 year and 3 months were suspended.
‘Frightening the population’
In the verdict, the court mentioned, among other things, the summary executions, murders and torture of IS. “Many of those crimes were committed to instill fear in the population. That makes them undeniably terrorist crimes.”
The women did not have a concrete plan for preparing a terrorist crime. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that this is not necessary in order to be convicted for the preparation, because IS commits crimes in abundance.
“Preparatory acts for a terrorist crime are assumed in view of the exit, its planning and the facilitating role that the women have had in the family and to their husband,” the court said.
In addition to the preparations, two women were also sentenced for taking their children to the battle zone and “putting them in a helpless condition”.
Punishment warehouse
The sentences are lower than those in previous cases against women affiliated with IS. The court states that the role of these women was smaller than that of the women in the previous cases.
It was also taken into account that they had been living in appalling conditions for four years in refugee camp Al Roj, in northern Syria. In addition, the women have renounced the IS ideology.
