Veteran French extremist Thomas Barnouin tells Iraqi court he regrets joining ISIS
A Frenchman who converted to Islam before travelling to Syria in support of ISIS expressed contrition before a court in Iraq on Sunday, saying he regretted joining the group. Thomas Barnouin, whose career as an extremist stretches back to the 2000s, appeared before the court in Baghdad almost nine years after he was captured by Kurdish forces in Syria . Mr Barnouin, 45, is one of 47 French…
In a Baghdad courtroom, Thomas Barnouin, a 45-year-old French extremist, expressed remorse for his involvement with ISIS on Sunday. Barnouin, who first converted to Islam in the 2000s, arrived in Syria in 2014 at the behest of ISIS propaganda urging Muslims to defend their faith. He traveled to the country, assuming administrative roles within the group, while condemning its violent acts.
Previously radicalized by Wahhabism and Salafist ideologies, Barnouin had been flagged by intelligence services in 2002. After serving a five-year prison sentence in Paris for involvement in extremist activities, he returned to Syria via Jordan in 2006, ultimately joining ISIS. In court, Barnouin admitted to participating in the group's terrorist acts and expressed regret for his role.
His case is the first of 47 French detainees transferred to Iraq last year, marking a shift in the legal proceedings against French ISIS members.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
