Six French nationals to face trial in Iraq over alleged IS links
French IS suspects to stand trial in Iraq
Six French nationals are set to face trial in Iraq on Sunday, as the country takes on the responsibility for prosecuting thousands of suspected Islamic State group members. The Iraqi judicial system has been dealing with the aftermath of the group's 2014 rampage across Syria and Iraq, which left mass graves and testimonies of brutalities to be investigated.
Iraq, backed by US-led forces, declared victory over IS in 2017, but the group was ultimately defeated in Syria by Kurdish-led forces in 2019. However, Iraq continues to grapple with the legacy of IS, with mass trials and executions for terrorism offences still taking place. In 2019, 11 French nationals received death sentences, which were later commuted to life in prison.
The repatriation of IS suspects and their family members to France has been a contentious issue, with French lawyers urging for the release of detained nationals, warning of potential death penalty charges.
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- Six French Islamic State suspects to stand trial in Iraq middleeasteye.net
