...
Danish IS fighter ready to take his punishment: 'He has laid down flat and regrets' | BT Krimi - www.bt.dk In pictures, 33-year-old Jacob El-Ali poses next to severed body parts and headless corpses in the Syrian city of Raqqa. On a belt over his chest it says 'Islamic State'. The pictures were found on the Danish citizen's Facebook profile back in 2014, when he was in Syria. Today, Jacob El-Ali is in custody in Denmark, and he is now ready to plead guilty and take his sentence. It informs his defense attorney to B.T. “He’s looking forward to getting done with this. He has come to Denmark because he wants to go home and take his punishment. It is in power, "said lawyer Mette Grith Stage. On Monday, the prosecution said the 33-year-old IS fighter could be charged with treason and terror-related acts for having joined Islamic State and participated in terrorist attacks. "It is of course very serious when Danish citizens not only allow themselves to be recruited to IS, but also join IS during an armed conflict, to which Denmark is a party, and even commit terrorist acts," says Lise-Lotte Nilas, who is a public prosecutor in Copenhagen, in a press release. The case will be tried as a confession case. The defense attorney states that he "overall" confesses to the charges against him. It is still unknown how long a punishment the Syrian jihadist risks. Section 101 of the Penal Code alone on treason, which he is accused of violating, among other things, can give up to 16 years in prison. The lawyer believes the confession should give him a lower sentence than otherwise. "I see it as a mitigating circumstance that he has cooperated with the authorities, laid down flat and regrets," says Mette Grith Stage. Jacob El-Ali left Denmark in 2013 and traveled to Syria. He has previously explained in several interviews that he initially fought for the Free Syrian Army side by side with Islamic State in the fight against the Syrian regime. When the two movements smoked in open war, he was, according to his own statements, forced to join Islamic State. Since then, he has also explained that he acted as a spy and provided information about impending IS attacks to the Syrian opposition, which the newspaper confirmed in several places. However, it is uncertain whether that remains his explanation today. His defense attorney does not want to comment on what he will explain when the case goes to court. Before Jacob El-Ali landed on Danish soil in December 2020, he had fought for three years to get home and be brought before a judge. Despite the fact that he had an international arrest warrant, it was not straightforward. »I have talked to the Danish authorities about returning home. I have called the Danish police. I've talked to my lawyer about it. I have called the Danish embassy and there is not really anyone who will help. What they are actually saying to us is that we should just stay down here and die, "Jacob El-Ali told Radio24syv in May 2018. Only in January 2020 was he arrested in Turkey and a little over a year later extradited to Denmark. He has been in custody ever since. A date has not yet been set for when the case against him will run in court. The defense attorney hopes it will be before summer. “It has been a long process. First a longer deprivation of liberty in Turkey and now a long deprivation of liberty in Denmark. He is looking forward to having this case settled, "says Mette Grith Stage. UKRAINE SOURCES THE FIRST 30 DAYS ARE FREE UKRAINE B.T. sets Team of the Year Accused by six women B.T. reveals Tivoli explains Supermarkets confirms Researchers: Apologies Reveals Professor: ABROAD Witness in court: Police: shocking Berlingske Media A / S Pilestræde 34 DK-1147 Copenhagen KTlf. +45 33 75 75 33 CVR.no .: 29 20 73 13