Dutch jihad suspect sentenced to three years in prison

A Dutch citizen, who had moved to Syria, was Monday sentenced to three years in prison for participating in jihad in Syria, while his wife was acquitted.

Maher H., 20, went to Syria in July 2013 and returned to the Netherlands in February.

The court found him guilty of preparation of homicide with "terrorist intent".

The case against Maher H. is the first criminal case in a Dutch court against a jihad suspect who has actually gone to Syria. Earlier, people have been convicted of preparing a jihadi journey, Xinhua reported.

The prosecutor had previously demanded a prison sentence of four years for his 20-year-old wife Shukri F.

She was suspected of recruiting six people for jihad and for sedition. However, the court found insufficient evidence against her.

"The court does not doubt the extreme jihadi mind of the woman but decided to acquittal of recruiting for the armed struggle in Syria, of sedition and spreading inflammatory messages," the court stated.

A third defendant, Imad el O., was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and a suspended sentence of three months for evading a 16-year-old girl from parental authority to recruit her for the "armed struggle".