7th US citizen charged with joining ISIS makes first court appearance
WASHINGTON, USA (North Press) – On Wednesday, the US Justice Department announced that it has charged Kosovo-born US citizen Lirim Sylejmani with crimes related to terrorism, making him the 7th US citizen to be charged with ISIS-related offenses.
In a statement published on Wednesday, the US Justice Department stated that Sylejmani’s alleged affiliation with the terror group began in 2015, and that provided resources to the group and received military training from them in Syria.
In an interview with the American radio station NPR in 2019 after his capture by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Sylejmani stated that ISIS promised him “free housing, free electricity, water free. So it sounded very good.”
He added that the living situation of him and his family was harsh under ISIS, and claims that he was punished by the terror group for “refusing to fight.”
According to the Justice Department, Sylejmani is being charged under two terrorism related offenses from US Legal Code Title 18: 2339B, providing material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations, and 2339D, receiving military-type training from a foreign terrorist organization. He made his first court appearance before a Washington court on Wednesday.
“Today’s announcement underscores the FBI’s commitment to combatting terrorism worldwide. Sylejmani allegedly traveled to Syria with the intent to join, train with, and fight on behalf of ISIS,” said the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division Matthew R. Alcoke.
In another one of Sylejmani’s many media interviews with ABC News, Sylejmani stated, “I have regrets, and I don’t have regrets,” and that he travelled to Syria because he “wanted to live under Islamic law.”
Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division Jill Sanborn hoped that the Justice Department’s announcement would “serve as a warning to those who have traveled, or attempted to travel, to join ISIS that the FBI remains steadfast in ensuring they face justice.”
In early September, US citizen Omer Kuzu was convicted of terrorism offenses after being captured by the SDF in the village of Dashisha in 2019 and later extradited to the United States.
The statement concluded by saying that Sylejmani has not yet been convicted, only charged, with crimes, and is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.