Two Norwegian men charged with supporting the terrorist organization IS (Islamic State) should each be jailed for five years, prosecutors argued at the end of a trial in Oslo that involved two brothers aged 25 and 28 and a 30-year-old acquaintance.
The two elder defendants have both been in Syria, claiming to carry out humanitarian assistance for those fighting the Assad regime. Prosecutors contend they instead have been fighting for IS, which they described as “the worst terrorist organization the world has seen, extreme even for Al-Qaida.”
The prosecutors have presented photos of the two men taken in Syria, armed and in the company of an IS leader who comes from Skien in Norway. One of the men also sent a photo of himself in full battle gear to his wife in Norway, with a note saying that their daughter should have a remembrance of him if he died as a martyr. Prosecutor Jan Glent argued that the photos present a clear example of a foreign warrior, or jihadist.
The younger defendant, who lives in Bærum, was charged with trying to support a terror organization and for violations of weapons laws. Glent asked that he be sentenced to 15 months in prison after he tried to send a package of supplies to his brother in Syria. Both are of Albanian descent.
Prosecutor Frederik Ranke said the sentences sought were relatively lengthy, to send a message that Norway should not be viewed as a safe haven for terrorists.
newsinenglish.no staff
