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Belgium Convicts 7 Women For Supporting ISIS

7 Women Convicted For Supporting ISIS
Reuters
FILE - In this undated file photo posted on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014 by the Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group, a militant extremist group, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria. The Islamic State group may be sprouting tentacles across the region but it is struggling in Syria, part of its heartland, where it has stalled or even lost ground in fighting with multiple enemies on multiple fronts. There are signs of tensions and powers struggles emerging among its ranks of foreign jihadis. (AP Photo/Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group, File)
FILE - In this undated file photo posted on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014 by the Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group, a militant extremist group, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria. The Islamic State group may be sprouting tentacles across the region but it is struggling in Syria, part of its heartland, where it has stalled or even lost ground in fighting with multiple enemies on multiple fronts. There are signs of tensions and powers struggles emerging among its ranks of foreign jihadis. (AP Photo/Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group, File)

BRUSSELS, May 18 (Reuters) - A Belgian court on Monday handed out prison sentences to seven women for supporting Islamic State and radicalizing young women to go to Syria to join its ranks and marry fighters of the militant organization.

Four of the seven women - five Belgians, one Dutch and one Moroccan - were not in court to hear their convictions and were believed to be in Syria with female battalions of Islamic State, the Antwerp-based court said.

In their absence, they were given five-year prison sentences for their activities with those battalions, including patrolling and guarding entrances to towns and cities in Syria.

The women present in court were guilty of facilitating the departure of Islamic State recruits and collecting money for organizations aiming to radicalize young girls. They received prison sentences of between 20 and 30 months.

In February, 45 men belonging to radical Islamist group Sharia4Belgium stood trial, accused of being part of a terrorist organization. The head of the group received a 12-year prison sentence.

(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Tom Heneghan)

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