Foreigner who fought for Isil is sentenced to death in Iraq

IRAQ has sentenced to death a Russian who fought for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) in Mosul, in the first such ruling on a foreign fighter.

The decision sets a precedent that could see extremists from Europe face the same fate. The 28-year-old man admitted being a member of the jihadist group and “carrying out terrorist operations” against Iraqi security forces, according to a statement released by Baghdad’s central criminal court.

He was charged under the country’s anti-terrorism laws, which provides for death by hanging or firing squad. He has been sentenced to hang.

Suspected local Isil members are being tried in northern Iraq, close to the city of Mosul where fighting took place. But most foreigners have been taken south to the capital, Baghdad.

While the number of detainees has not been made public, security services are thought to be holding several dozen non-iraqis. General Yahya Rasool, a spokesman for Joint Operations Command, said the Russian was “the first [ jihadist] to surrender” to Iraqi forces in west Mosul, scene of the most ferocious battles. The fighter was said to have been captured after running out of ammunition.

He was handed over to Iraqi intelligence and then to judicial authorities, said Gen Rasool. During interrogation, he said he had studied engineering and had discovered Islam in Moscow, where Uzbek construction workers introduced him to the religion.

After obtaining his degree in 2014, he went to Turkey with the intention of entering Syria to join Isil. According to his testimony, he pledged allegiance to the jihadist group in Mosul, trained for a month and took the nom de guerre Abu Yasmina al-russi.

Iraqi forces detained hundreds of suspected jihadists during the nine-month operation to recapture the country’s second city, which culminated in July, including foreign fighters from a number of countries. It is thought as many as 7,000 extremists from Russia and other former Soviet states left to join Isil in Iraq and Syria. Some German women were also arrested in Mosul, including a 16-year-old convert to Islam who married a Chechen fighter.

Linda Wenzel’s case became infamous when pictures were published of her looking dishevelled as she was led away by security forces. She theoretically faces the death penalty, according to Iraqi law.

Iraq has said it will try all foreign Isil suspects, but some European governments will seek extradition orders to try them at home.

Last month, Baghdad sentenced 27 Iraqi Isil fighters to death by hanging over their role in a massacre of up to 1,700 army recruits in 2014.

Human rights group have raised their concern at Iraq’s use of the death penalty. In 2016, Iraq executed more than 88 people, topped only by Saudi Arabia, Iran and China.