Former ISIS Bride Found Guilty of Terrorist Training in US Federal Court
Halima Salman, a 27-year-old New York native who travelled to ISIS-controlled territory in Syria at the age of 18, has been found guilty of receiving military training from the Islamic State (ISIS). A federal jury in Brooklyn delivered the verdict on Tuesday following a weeklong trial and three days of deliberations. She now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
Salman was accused of undergoing weapons training while living in territory controlled by the terrorist organisation. The case attracted considerable attention as it marked the first time a woman had faced trial in the United States on charges of joining ISIS and participating in its activities.
Following the verdict, Joseph Nocella Jr., US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said Salman had been held accountable for joining forces with a terrorist organisation. He also stated that ISIS had devastated Syria and caused destruction across the world, adding that his office would continue prosecuting individuals who supported the group's violent activities.
During the trial, Salman testified in her own defence, claiming that she had been forced into marriage with an ISIS fighter known as Abu Ali by her father when she was 18. According to her account, her father, who supported ISIS and was later killed in a 2018 airstrike, moved the family from New York to Turkey before taking them into ISIS-controlled territory in Syria in 2016. The family included her mother and eight siblings.
Her defence lawyer, Mia Eisner-Grynberg, argued that Salman was a victim of circumstances rather than a willing participant in terrorism. During her closing statement, the lawyer urged the jury to find her not guilty, describing the prosecution as a serious miscarriage of justice. She also highlighted Salman's childhood in Brooklyn, where she had been involved in Girl Scouts and enjoyed sewing and craft-making.
However, the jury ultimately found her guilty after considering the evidence presented during the trial. The verdict brings renewed attention to the efforts of American authorities to prosecute individuals who travelled abroad and became involved with ISIS, particularly those accused of receiving training or supporting the organisation's activities.
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