| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| [RT] Blinded by propaganda: What's really happening in Syria while the new government talks peace? (DISTURBING VIDEOS) |
| 2024-12-14 |
| While the militants who have seized power make promises that delight Western journalists, the country is drowning in blood Since the start of the large-scale offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied opposition groups, the HTS-led Syrian Salvation Government has issued a series of loud statements. The first concerned Russia and its support of the Syrian authorities. Russian troops were the only ones to oppose the advancing opposition forces, and the rebels urged them to end the strikes on terrorist positions, claiming that such actions would only result in civilian casualties. The Syrian Salvation Government said that its actions were aimed against the Syrian authorities, not Moscow, with which the militants intend to establish mutually beneficial cooperation. Next, the Salvation Government released statements concerning neighboring countries. It called on Iraq to close its borders and prevent pro-Iranian groups from entering Syria to help exiled President Bashar Assad. Additionally, the rebels proclaimed that they would protect all foreign embassies, humanitarian organizations, and journalists. A separate statement was issued regarding chemical weapons, their production facilities and storage sites. The Salvation Government assured media that these weapons would never be used and would not fall into irresponsible hands, and invited relevant international organizations to monitor them. Some of the rebels’ most notable promises were made to ethnic and religious minorities in Syria, including Kurds, Alawites, Christians, and Shiites. The Salvation Government declared that no minority would face genocide or persecution for their views and beliefs, since they are an integral part of the Syrian nation. It also said that inclusivity is the strength, not the weakness, of the future Syria. In addressing the Kurds, the rebels condemned the barbaric practices of ISIS, such as murder, slavery, and other brutal actions committed against the Kurdish population by jihadists. They also guaranteed the safety of Syrian soldiers who laid down their arms and surrendered. These statements by the Salvation Government and the HTS leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, were met with enthusiasm by prominent experts of Islamic radicalism and fundamentalism. They praised al-Julani’s professionalism, transparency, and moderate views, and the fact that he distanced himself from his jihadist roots. Western media picked up this narrative and, in an attempt to whitewash the rebel leader, CNN released an exclusive interview with him. In this interview, al-Julani repeated the above-mentioned statements made by the Syrian Salvation Government and noted that the ambitions of HTS and its allies are confined to Syria, which should reassure potential adversaries and key regional players. The goals of HTS, he claimed, were to overthrow Bashar Assad and then to start “building Syria” – and the rebels had already achieved the first goal. However, as often happens, the statements issued by the rebels were far from the truth. HTS terrorists and allied opposition groups have already released dozens of videos demonstrating executions of members of Arab-Kurdish forces, Syrian soldiers (even those who surrendered voluntarily), Alawites, and Shiites. In several video clips, militants are seen slitting the throats of their captives. Additionally, there are videos of the rebels hunting down former soldiers, which they refer to as “patrolling” or “clearing” an area. Mostly, their targets are shot on the spot. In addition, the rebels have published dozens of video messages threatening various minorities and neighboring countries. Some of them claim that the coup in Syria gives them the freedom to destroy Israel and liberate Palestinian territories. Russian-speaking terrorists from the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar and Ajnad al-Kavkaz jihadist militant groups, whose former leader and certain members are currently fighting in the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the side of Ukraine, have threatened that their next target will be Russia. The actions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and affiliated opposition groups have nothing in common with the rebels’ public statements. They stand in stark contrast to the promises of a measured and moderate stance when it comes to the future of Syria and the status of its minorities. Since the Syrian Salvation Government was established in 2017, we have closely monitored the rebels’ statements and propaganda. The militants claim that peace and stability reign in the areas under their control in Syria’s Idlib governorate, where all problems are resolved effortlessly; and al-Julani, they say, would have no trouble applying his “invaluable experience” of governing Idlib to the rest of Syria. In reality, the population was facing immense economic and social hardships. Even significant financial support from Türkiye failed to make a difference. The funds were simply embezzled by the leadership of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. Abu Mohammad al-Julani established an absolute totalitarian regime where torture, abduction of dissenters, and extrajudicial killings thrived. In Idlib province, weekly protests against HTS and its leadership took place. Al-Julani even resorted to orchestrating terrorist attacks, human trafficking, and a drugs trade. This was confirmed by Abu Ahmed Zakura, the former chief financier and head of security for the group, who fled Idlib in December 2023. By the Directorate 4 team, an analytical and monitoring center researching Islamic radicalism and fundamentalism [X] New HTS Justice Minister: Sharia Law yes, women judges no
Related: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham: 2024-12-13 Terrorists liberate terrorists from other terrorists Hayat Tahrir al-Sham: 2024-12-12 Ukrainian operatives provided drones to Syrian rebels in weeks leading up to fall of Assad — report Hayat Tahrir al-Sham: 2024-12-12 Syrian rebel chief says working with int’l groups to secure potential chemical arms sites Related: Syrian Salvation Government 11/30/2024 Attack on Aleppo: Militants' sudden success in Syria has two reasons Syrian Salvation Government 07/09/2024 Pogroms and attacks: Türkiye pays the price for supporting the Syrian opposition Syrian Salvation Government 11/15/2022 HTS Amends Decision On Syrian Government University Graduates |
| Link |
| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia | |
| Native of Stavropol sentenced to 16 years for involvement with Syrian militants | |
| 2022-12-03 | |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [KavkazUzel] The court sentenced Zaur Yunusov, a resident of the Stavropol Territory, to 16 years in prison, recognizing him as a member of an armed formation of militants in Syria. The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Zaur Yunusov, a resident of the Stavropol Territory, to 16 years in a strict regime colony, considering his guilt in participation in the Jaish al-Muhajirin val-Ansar
The court concluded that on October 5, 2013, Yunusov arrived in Syria, where he joined the Jaish al-Muhajirin wal-Ansar and took the oath of allegiance to its leader. "Until the end of December 2013, Yunusov, armed with automatic firearms and ammunition, took part in hostilities against government troops of the Syrian Arab Republic, guarded territories, structures and property, searched for the wounded and transported them," the court quoted on December 1 as saying. In 2014, according to investigators, Yunusov was trained in physical and mine-explosive training for further participation in an illegal armed group. Zaur Yunusov was found guilty under Part 2 of Article 208 (participation in an illegal armed formation) and Article 205.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (undertaking training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities), the agency reported. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed to the Military Court of Appeal, according to a publication posted on the evening of December 1 on the website of the court. The report does not say that Yunusov is a resident of the North Caucasus. The "Caucasian Knot" also wrote that on June 26, 2019, the court sentenced Timur Tumgoev, a native of Vladikavkaz, to 18 years in a strict regime colony, recognizing him as a member of the Jaish al-Muhajirin val-Ansar group. According to investigators, in 2014 Tumgoev went to Georgia, then to Turkey, and from there to Syria, where he joined the militants. In 2016, Timur Tumgoev was detained in Ukraine, and in 2018 he was extradited to Russia at the request of the FSB. Tumgoev himself admitted only the fact of his stay in Turkey. In the last word, he called the accusation unfair, but expressed his readiness to go to the colony "by the will of Allah." In October 2021, Alisher Kurbanov, a 37-year-old resident of the Stavropol Territory, was sentenced to 12 years in a strict regime colony. The military court in Rostov-on-Don concluded that from 2013 to 2014, as well as in 2016, Kurbanov was a member of Jaysh al-Muhajirin wal-Ansar and participated in hostilities against Syrian government forces. Related: Stavropol: 2022-11-29 Resident of Dagestan accused of financing ISIS Stavropol: 2022-11-24 Astrakhan citizen convicted of trying to join Syrian militants Stavropol: 2022-11-22 Eight residents of the Stavropol were convicted in the case of extremism Related: Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar: 2016-10-29 Azerbaijan Kills Two Suspected 'Terrorists' Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar: 2016-02-13 Azerbaijan Arrests Eight for Joining IS in Syria, Iraq Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar: 2015-10-29 Azerbaijan Jails Two for Fighting with IS Militants Related: Muhajireen Brigade: 2015-09-24 Insurgent group pledges allegiance to al Qaeda's Syria wing Muhajireen Brigade: 2015-01-23 2 Islamic State group suspects arrested in Germany Muhajireen Brigade: 2013-02-21 One of those nice lads from GitMo killed in Syria. | |
| Link |
| Europe | |||||
| German court orders fines for 'Shariah police' vigilantes | |||||
| 2019-05-28 | |||||
| [DW] Members of a "Shariah police" vigilante group have been handed fines for donning illegal uniforms. The men had attempted to impose a "Shariah controlled zone" in the western German city of Wuppertal. A German court found seven alleged members of a self-styled "Shariah police" guilty of violating rules on wearing uniforms after a retrial in the western city of Wuppertal. The defendants, men aged between 27 and 37, face fines ranging from €300 to €1,800 ($335 to $2,015) for violating Germany's laws against wearing uniforms.
The accused patrolled the streets of Wuppertal in September 2014 dressed in orange vests bearing the words "Shariah police." They handed out leaflets declaring the area a "Shariah-controlled zone," where alcohol, music and pornography were banned under Islam's Shariah law. The men were accused of infringing uniform laws, but judges in the Wuppertal District Court acquitted them of the charges in November 2016 after they determined that they was not enough proof that they were breaking the law. However, some people cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go... the Federal Court of Justice, Germany's constitutional court, overturned the acquittal and ordered a retrial in January 2018, determining that the district court had not examined the impact of the vigilantes' actions on the public. At the time of the "Shariah police" patrol, the men were led by Sven Lau,
| |||||
| Link |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Free Syrian Army joins ISIS extermination campaign in northeast Hama |
| 2017-10-21 |
| [ALMASDARNEWS] Despite the heightened state of tensions been the Free Syrian Army ... the more palatable version of the Syrian insurgency, heavily influenced by the Moslem Brüderbund... and Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham (Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate) in northwestern Syria, some Free Syrian Army sub-factions remain loyal to the jihadist organization and are even assisting it in ongoing battles against ISIS throughout the region. Several days ago, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (Free Syrian Army-linked group) released footage of its forces battling ISIS in northeast Hama province. The holy warrior group can be seen employing a range of heavy weaponry including cannon-armed pickups, siege mortars and high-powered anti-materiel sniper rifles. By this evidence, it appears that whilst leading offensive operations to wipe-out the ISIS presence in northeast Hama, Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham is by no means alone, with some loyal Free Syrian Army franchises joining the campaign. |
| Link |
| Europe |
| German court jails notorious Islamist preacher |
| 2017-07-28 |
| [IsraelTimes] Sven Lau convicted of helping to recruit for so-called ’Army of E One of Germany’s most notorious Islamist preachers, Sven Lau, was sentenced Wednesday to five and a half years in jail for backing a terrorist group. The German Salafist convert, who had previously sparked outrage by forming a "Sharia police" vigilante group, was convicted for helping to recruit for Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (JMA) or Army of E JMA, which includes Chechens, Uzbeks and Tajiks, first emerged in Syria in 2012, and is deemed a terrorist organization by Germany. In September 2015, the gunnies pledged allegiance to the al-Nusra ...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ... Front, a rival group of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... organization. Prosecutors said Lau was the main contact for JMA in the western city of Duesseldorf. The 36-year-old had also traveled to Syria in September 2013 and had purchased night vision equipment for the jihadist group, prosecutors said. Lau, a former firefighter, had denied the accusations when he was incarcerated Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! in December 2015. He argued that his trip to Syria was for humanitarian reasons, despite photos showing him carrying a Kalashnikov aboard a tank. Lau has been a controversial figure in Germany, where he sparked outrage with "Sharia police" street patrols in the western city of Wuppertal in 2014, telling people to stop drinking, gambling and listening to music. However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... a German court in November ruled the vigilante group did not break the law. The city’s district court ruled that the seven accused members of the group did not breach a ban on political uniforms when they approached people while wearing orange vests bearing the words "Sharia Police." Judges said there could only be a violation of the law -- originally aimed against street movements such as the early Nazi party -- if the uniforms were "suggestively krazed killer or intimidating." Separately, Germany’s anti-terror prosecutors announced Wednesday the arrest of three suspected Islamists in the northeastern city of Guestrow. The trio are suspected of having prepared "an act of violence that threatens the security of the state," said federal prosecutors in a statement, without giving details. |
| Link |
| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Azerbaijan Kills Two Suspected 'Terrorists' |
| 2016-10-29 |
| [AnNahar] Azerbaijani security services have killed two men suspected of plotting "terrorist attacks" in the secular ex-Soviet country with a mainly Moslem population, authorities said Friday. The two Azerbaijani nationals were rubbed out during a special operation on Wednesday night, the oil-rich Caucasus nation's State Security Service said in a statement, adding that another suspected "terrorist" had been tossed in the slammer Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! The three suspects had been mandated by "foreign radical religious terrorist groups" to create an gang known as the Caucasus Jamaat to carry out attacks in the country of 9.5 million, authorities said. "The gang, the Caucasus Jamaat, has been planning terrorist attacks in Azerbaijan and had links with terrorist organizations involved in armed conflicts abroad," the statement said without giving further details. One of the two suspects killed in the operation had allegedly attempted to detonate a hand grenade as security officers tried to apprehend him. In February, Azerbaijan arrested eight men for fighting alongside the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... jihadist group in Syria and Iraq. Local media had previously reported numerous cases of Azerbaijani nationals fighting alongside IS jihadists, including within the ranks of the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar (JMA) group consisting mostly of Islamists from the former Soviet Union. |
| Link |
| Europe | |
| 'Sharia police' Salafist Sven Lau goes on trial in Germany | |
| 2016-09-07 | |
| [DeutscheWelle] Islamist preacher Sven Lau's trial has begun in the regional court in Dusseldorf on charges of supporting a terror organization in Syria. The court will also debate on whether Lau himself can be branded a terrorist. Lau's trial began Tuesday afternoon at the regional court in the western German city of Dusseldorf. Judges have scheduled 30 trial days, with the entire trial to run until January 18, 2017. The first day of the trial was broken off soon after the charges against the accused were read out, with proceedings postponed until next week. The delay was ordered because Lau initially refused to respond to the charges, according to his lawyer. Leading figure in Salafist scene Prosecutors have accused the 35-year-old of supporting the terror group Jamwa, (roughly translated as an army of e
Complaints against Lau go back to the year 2013, when the Islamist preacher ferried two Salafists ...Salafists are ostentatiously devout Moslems who figure the ostentation of their piety gives them the right to tell others how to do it and to kill those who don't listen to them... from Germany to join the Jamwa in Syria. One of these men was an Islamist who had been sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Lau allegedly also gathered monetary support and supplied night vision aids to the terrorists. The Islamist's lawyer, Mutlu Gunal has claimed his client is innocent, accusing the main witness of being a "notorious liar." Widely regarded as a leading figure in the German Salafist scene, Lau is reported to have initiated the "Sharia police" in Wuppertal in Germany's western industrial Ruhr region. Together with his accomplices, all aged between 24 and 35, he patrolled the streets in September 2014 in an attempt to enforce a strict interpretation of Islam. Wearing orange vests, emblazoned with the words "Shariah police," the defendants allegedly demanded people at nightclubs stop drinking alcohol and listening to music. The bearded fundamentalists were also observed calling for an end to gambling as they carried signs in English, declaring a "Sharia Controlled Zone." Germany pays another price for refusing to surrender: judicial system staffing shortages, backlog of files [DeutscheWelle] The huge influx of refugees has taken its toll on the justice system. Asylum-seekers almost always enter the country illegally, which means the public prosecutor inevitably has to start proceedings in every single case, even if they are dropped again just as inevitably. The result: 672,000 preliminary proceedings for illegal entry and other crimes from January 2015 to March 2016. Courts in Bavaria, the main entry point into Germany for most refugees, bore the brunt of these cases. Nationwide, other courts are just as overtaxed: administrative courts are involved in the procedure to grant the right of asylum, while family courts are responsible for the many unaccompanied minors. Trials take longer - at the expense of the citizens, since tasks are prioritized. There is much more pressure to shorten proceedings by "cutting deals, terminating proceedings and entering into pre-trial settlement negotiations," the DRB director said. What's needed now, Rebehn said, is a political change of course. "As a first step, the states must fully comply with their obligations to the judiciary - 100 percent, not just 80 or 90 percent." If 2,000 extra judges and prosecutors were hired, "many of the current problems could be drastically resolved." | |
| Link |
| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Azerbaijan Arrests Eight for Joining IS in Syria, Iraq |
| 2016-02-13 |
[AnNahar] Azerbaijan has incarceratedYez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! eight men for fighting alongside the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... group in Syria and Iraq, the majority-Muslim Caucasus nation's authorities said on Friday. The men, all Azeri nationals, "were trained in Islamic State training camps in 2012-2015 and took part in fighting in Syria and Iraq within the ranks of terrorist groups," the national security ministry said in a statement. Fighting in foreign wars is a criminal offense in the predominantly Muslim but secular country of more than 9 million people. Local media had previously reported numerous cases of Azerbaijani nationals fighting alongside jihadists in Syria and Iraq, including within the ranks of the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar group consisting mostly of Islamists from the former Soviet Union. In September, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, Al-Nusra. Around 25,000 imported muscle from more than 100 countries are involved in armed conflicts worldwide, with the highest numbers in Syria, Iraq and increasingly Libya, according to United Nations ...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... . |
| Link |
| Europe |
| German Islamist Held on Charge of Backing Syrian Jihadists |
| 2015-12-16 |
[AnNahar] German police Tuesday tossed in the calaboosePlease don't kill me! one of the country's most prominent Islamist preachers on charges of supporting a "terrorist group" fighting in Syria. The man, German citizen Sven Lau, 35, made headlines last year by organizing a vigilante "Sharia Police" group that patrolled German streets seeking to enforce Islamic law. Lau is accused of supporting and recruiting fighters for the Syria-based Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (JMA), or Army of Emigrants and Supporters, which Germany lists as a terrorist organization. Prosecutors said that in 2013, Lau was the JMA's main contact in Germany, based in the western city of Duesseldorf, and recruited two volunteers. They also accused Lau of delivering 250 euros ($275) in cash to a German fighter in Syria, and of organizing the delivery of night-vision equipment worth 1,440 euros to the JMA. The JMA, with fighters from Chechnya and central Asia, in September this year pledged allegiance to the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra Front, but a breakaway group earlier joined the rival Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... (IS). The prosecutors charged that the JMA wing Lau belonged to backed the IS, a group that had committed war crimes including "mass executions, the burning of prisoners, and ... beheadings". Lau was arrested in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, a hotspot for fundamentalist Islam from where several German 'imported muscle' in Syria and Iraq come. Lau gained notoriety when in 2014 he led young Muslims wearing orange vests marked "Sharia Police" through the western city of Wuppertal telling people not to drink alcohol, listen to music or gamble. |
| Link |
| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Azerbaijan Jails Two for Fighting with IS Militants |
| 2015-10-29 |
| [AnNahar] Azerbaijan on Tuesday sentenced two men to 14 years in jail for fighting alongside Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... bully boyz in Syria and Iraq, authorities in the ex-Soviet republic said. The energy-rich Caucasus nation's security ministry "tossed in the calaboose Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! the two Azerbaijani nationals in April over fighting in Syria and Iraq," a Baku court front man told AFP. The two men "fought within the ranks of IS from 2014 to 2015 in Syria and Iraq," the front man said. Fighting in foreign wars is a criminal offense in the predominantly Muslim but secular country. Local media had previously reported numerous cases of Azerbaijani citizens fighting for jihadists in Syria and Iraq, including within the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar group consisting mostly of Islamists from the former Soviet Union. The Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar in September declared allegiance to al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, Al-Nusra. Since September 2014, Azerbaijan has reportedly arrested at least 38 men for fighting alongside the IS group, which has seized large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. In July and August, Azerbaijan sentenced 13 men to up to 15 years in prison for fighting in Syria alongside IS. Around 25,000 imported muscle from over 100 countries are involved in armed conflicts worldwide, with the highest numbers in Syria, Iraq and increasingly Libya, according to a United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... report published this year. |
| Link |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Insurgent group pledges allegiance to al Qaeda's Syria wing |
| 2015-09-24 |
| [AlAhram] An holy warrior group fighting in Syria made up of around 1,500 Chechen, Uzbek and Tajik fighters has pledged allegiance to al Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front, a group monitoring the war said on Wednesday. Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (Muhajireen Brigade) made the pledge in a statement distributed by supporters online, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The pledge is a boost for Nusra Front against its rival Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... , an ultra hardline jihadist group which has seized territory in Syria and Iraq. Among battles fought between Nusra Front and Islamic State is one for control of parts of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, where fighters from the Muhajireen Brigade could help tip the balance. Nusra Front, loyal to the successors of the late Osama bin Laden ... who is now among the dear departed, though not among the dearest... , and Islamic State are the two most powerful forces fighting the Syrian army and its allies in Syria's civil war. The groups have fought each other since a split in 2013 largely due to a power struggle between leaders. Nusra Front's leader said in June his group had around 30 percent imported muscle including Europeans, many Asians, Russians and Chechens. |
| Link |
| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Chechen gets two years for fighting with the 'Free Syrian Army' |
| 2014-11-12 |
| A court in Grozny sentenced a local man to two years' imprisonment in a penal colony for fighting in Syria. Said Mazhaev went to Syria in November 2013. He returned home to Chechnya on January 14, when he was taken into custody. The indictment says that Mazhaev fought for the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which is highly unlikely to have been the case. The FSA is a loosely defined term for locally based Syrian armed opposition groups, not a foreign fighter faction. That the term "Free Syrian Army" was used is thought to be a political move on behalf of the Chechen Republic, which - like Moscow - considers all of the armed Syrian opposition including the relatively moderate, Western-backed Free Syrian Army to be illegal terrorist organizations. It is much more likely that Mazhaev fell in with other Chechens in Syria. In November 2013, when he traveled there, that would almost certainly have meant Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar, at the time led by Umar Shishani. Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar is linked to the Caucasus Emirate, which calls for the violent overthrow of the Chechen leadership. Chechen leadership would not likely want to publicize young Chechens who go to Syria to fight in a group that has any connection with the Caucasus Emirate. Had Mazhaev been with Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar from November 2013 until January 2014, there would have been good reason for him to have become disillusioned with jihad, because that is the time when Umar Shishani moved with a group of his men to join Islamic State, a decision that caused a bitter split among North Caucasian militants in Syria. |
| Link |