Austria jails three Chechen asylum-seekers for trying to join IS
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 1 October 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Austria jails three Chechen asylum-seekers for trying to join IS, 1 October 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56813c0d13.html [accessed 24 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
October 01, 2015
An Austrian court on October 1 handed down jail sentences to three Chechen asylum-seekers – a man, his wife, and his mother – after ruling that they tried to join Islamic State (IS) extremists in Syria.
The 20-year-old man, his 21-year-old wife, and the man's 39-year-old mother were intercepted in Turkey.
They said they were there to obtain medical treatment for the mother who suffers from depression and panic attacks.
But presiding judge Daniel Rechenmacher ruled that their arguments were "completely implausible" and "disproved by objective evidence material."
The man was sentenced to two years in jail and his mother received a 21-month sentence.
The man's wife was sentenced to 19 months in prison.
She was heavily pregnant at the time of her arrest and gave birth in custody to a boy whom she then named Osama.
The ruling comes as Austria struggles to deal with a large influx of migrants and refugees pouring across its borders.
Based on reporting by AFP and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
