Five-year sentence stands for soldier convicted of ISIS affiliation

• The Public Prosecution charged a military officer and an assistant engineer with joining ISIS and promoting its ideology, based on a confession, security testimony, and mobile phone evidence.

The Court of Appeal, chaired by Counselor Nasr Salem Al-Haid and including Counselors Saud Al-Sanea and Tariq Metwally, ruled on a case involving membership in and financing of ISIS, as well as establishing a website to spread the group’s ideology. Two citizens were accused: one a soldier in the Ministry of Defense and the other an assistant engineer. The Criminal Court upheld the ruling, sentencing the first defendant to five years in prison and acquitting the second, according to the Arabic daily Al Jarida.

The Public Prosecution charged the defendants—one a military officer and the other an assistant engineer—with belonging to ISIS, facilitating communication among its members, and promoting their ideology. This was based on the first defendant’s confession, testimony from the State Security officer who conducted the investigations, and evidence from conversations on his mobile phone.

The defendants’ actions were deemed harmful to national interests, as their participation in a terrorist group aimed at undermining the country’s systems posed a threat. Both defendants joined ISIS, a group recognized as a terrorist organization by a UN Security Council resolution, fully aware of its destructive goals.

The first accused confessed in detail during the Public Prosecution’s investigation, admitting all charges against him. He was interviewed by the Deputy Public Prosecutor, who noted no signs of coercion or pressure, and was fully informed of the charges and the role of the Public Prosecution in investigating him. The accused admitted to being a supporter of ISIS since its emergence in 2015, expressing alignment with its ideas and actions.

He further confessed to pledging allegiance to the organization’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, privately, swearing to hear and obey him. He acknowledged supporting ISIS by following its news and updates on various social media platforms. In 2016, he communicated with an individual named Abu Amara, an ISIS member and supporter, via Telegram. Abu Amara requested financial support for the group, and in response, the accused provided 60 Kuwaiti dinars through a contact in Kuwait, intending to donate to ISIS.

The accused also revealed that he joined several social media groups and channels, including those on Telegram and TikTok, where he communicated with ISIS members and their supporters.

He admitted to sharing video clips, news, and other materials related to ISIS with the intent of promoting the group’s ideology. Additionally, he created and managed channels on Telegram, allowing others to join and view content such as flexible clips and the latest updates on ISIS activities. His intention was to spread the organization’s ideas and continue this activity even before his arrest.

In 2017, he met the second accused on Telegram after learning of his interest in ISIS. He expressed a desire to travel to Syria and join the organization, but the second accused advised against it due to the situation at the time. Instead, the second accused suggested traveling to Yemen to join ISIS there.

However, the first accused was unable to proceed due to family issues and the overall situation, and his connection with the second accused ended in 2018.

He also admitted to communicating via the social media app Telegram and his mobile phone with several individuals who had joined and supported ISIS, the most recent of whom was a man named “Abu Amir” in 2024, with the intention of joining the organization’s ranks in Syria. However, he was unable to go due to the current situation there, which made travel impossible, according to the individuals he communicated with in Syria.