Holland jihadist gets 6 years for joining Nusra

Rotterdam, Netherlands, Jan. 30: A Dutch court sentenced an Islamist jihadist to six years in jail in his absence Tuesday for joining the ranks of the al- Nusra Front to fight in Iraq and Syria.

The trial of eight others, none of whom were present in the Rotterdam court, was postponed however, as the judge ruled it was unclear whether the men, who include a rapper and a former postman, were still alive and able to defend themselves in court.

Adil Bouchouh, 27, who comes from Rotterdam, was jailed for six years, after the court heard he left the Netherlands in 2014 to fight in Syria and Iraq, particularly in the Idlib region.

Although he is believed to be still alive, his exact whereabouts are unknown.

“Mr Bouchouh deliberately refused to attend court today. He has shown, through telephone conversations with his parents, that he was a member of the alNusra Front from 2014 to 2017. The threat presented by participating with such jihadist groups must be severely punished,” said the presiding judge Jaco Boek.

Prosecutors had sought a nine- year jail term for him, as they step up efforts to prosecute Dutch men and women who joined groups such as the so- called Islamic State.

At least 280 Dutch citizens, a third of them women, left the Netherlands to join IS and other groups in Syria and Iraq.