Trial of suspected IS member to begin in Jena end of July

A trial is set to commence at the Higher Regional Court in Thuringia on July 28, prosecuting a man suspected of being a former member of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group. The court has accepted the indictment from the Thuringian General Public Prosecutor's Office against the man, who originates from Iraq, and has opened the main proceedings.

The accused, born in 1960, is alleged to have joined IS voluntarily in September 2014, pledging allegiance to the group's then-leader. He is suspected of having been active in various capacities for the organization until 2016, reportedly serving in media and propaganda roles, as well as engaging in combat.

Following a severe injury sustained in fighting, the man allegedly took on duties within the so-called IS police force between August 2015 and December 2016, while continuing to participate in combat operations. The court filing indicates he received pay and financial benefits for himself and his family. He reportedly left Iraq in the latter half of 2017 and was arrested in Nordhausen, where he has been held in pre-trial detention since last December. The court has initially scheduled 13 trial dates through October.