Antwerp court sentences seven to up to 15 years for financing terrorism

The Antwerp correctional court has handed down prison sentences ranging from 5 to 15 years to seven men convicted of financing terrorism by raising funds for the Islamic State (IS) group. The money was funneled to conflict zones, including Syria and Afghanistan, and to ISKP, a branch of IS operating in the Northern Caucasus.

The ringleader, identified as S.A., was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison and fined 800,000 euros. He was considered the spiritual leader of an international organization that collected funds in Europe under the guise of charity. Intercepted communications revealed the funds' direct link to IS, with the court concluding they were intended to bolster the group's activities, including purchasing weapons and freeing IS fighters and their families from detention camps.

Three of the accused also faced charges for preparing a terrorist attack. During house searches in July 2024, authorities found five bottles of hydrogen peroxide at one defendant's home. While he claimed it was for ear disinfection, the court found this explanation implausible. Although no direct evidence suggested the explosives were intended for use in Europe, the court noted they appeared destined for deployment in the Northern Caucasus, where ISKP aims to overthrow Russian rule and establish a Sharia state.

In addition to the ringleader's 15-year sentence, two other defendants received 12-year prison terms and fines of 96,000 euros each. The remaining defendants were sentenced to 5 to 10 years. The court ordered the immediate arrest of the ringleader and three other individuals.

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The collected funds were used to facilitate armed jihadist Salafist resistance, the purchase of weapons, and to buy back IS fighters and their women from detention camps in Syria.