IS Returnee Evelyn T. in Vienna Sentenced to Two Years on Probation

A panel of lay judges imposed a two-year prison sentence on the 26-year-old, which was conditionally suspended with a three-year probation period. The woman, who had been in pre-trial detention since March 1, was released after the trial.

In the reasoning for the verdict, the presiding judge emphasized that this was a unique case. Legally, a sentence of up to ten years in prison would have been possible. However, several mitigating circumstances had to be considered, according to the court. Her mostly youthful age at the time of the offense, her voluntary return to Austria, and her remorseful and comprehensive confession were taken into account in the sentencing. The nearly eight years the accused spent in the Roj detention camp in Syria also contributed to the conditional sentence.

The court ordered probation assistance. Additionally, the 26-year-old was mandated to undergo psychotherapy and a deradicalization program. With appropriate support and supervision, a good prognosis for the future could be made, the judge said. Evelyn T. was specifically assigned to be supervised by the Extremism Counseling Center. The presiding judge wanted to "take a closer look" at the corresponding reports in this case.

Verdict Not Final

The accused and her defense accepted the verdict. In tears, the accused thanked for "this second chance." The prosecutor did not make a statement, so the verdict is not yet final. According to APA information, Evelyn T. will initially move in with her mother and wants to have her son with her as soon as possible, who is currently in the care of the Vienna Child and Youth Welfare (MA 11).

The 26-year-old made a comprehensive confession in court. Her IS past was not outwardly visible during the trial. She wore a black blazer, matching black pants, and had her long hair down when she was brought into the courtroom by the judicial guard. She looked interested at the audience and made eye contact with present relatives. The courtroom was filled to the last seat. A school class that wanted to attend the trial had to be turned away due to lack of seating. The trial was guarded by masked and heavily armed forces of the Judicial Guard Task Force (JEG), several police officers, and constitutional protectors.

According to the indictment, Evelyn T. met the native Afghan Qais Z. in Vienna through mutual acquaintances in early 2015 - she was 16 years old at the time. She already had sympathies for the radical Islamic terrorist militia "Islamic State" (IS) back then. Qais Z. shared this ideology in a pronounced form. "He was really strongly radicalized," said defense attorney Anna Mair at the beginning of the trial. Her client looked up to the man, who was ten years older, "good-looking, charming," and married him under Islamic law, Mair said. "He promised me a perfect life," confirmed the accused, "he said we could go to the IS." At first, she was "overwhelmed" by this, but then she imagined "a better life": "I was like in a pit I couldn't get out of."

IS Returnee Evelyn T.: Caught in IS Circles at 14

At 14, she had just reached the age of criminal responsibility and got caught in IS circles. She grew up in a not very religious household. Her mother is Christian, her father Muslim, but religion was not practiced at home. At 15, 16, her client had a circle of friends consisting exclusively of IS sympathizers, explained defense attorney Mair. She did not listen to "warning, critical voices": "She was in a bubble. Everyone outside this bubble was the enemy. It was clear to her client, however, "that IS is a terrorist organization."

After the wedding, the man traveled to Syria in April 2015 to join IS under the combat name Abu Luqman al-Afghani. He subsequently underwent combat training in Mosul, Iraq, and was then part of the "Battalion of Foreigners," which consisted of foreign fighters who fought for IS in northern Syria. In September 2015, Abu Luqman al-Afghani was sent by IS to fight in Ramadi, Iraq.

Wanted to Join IS in Syria at 16

According to the indictment, Evelyn T. first attempted to reach her husband via Turkey at the end of April 2015. However, she was prevented from continuing her journey at the airport in Istanbul and sent back to Vienna. In July of the same year, she used her sister's passport and flew to Istanbul again to reunite with her husband in Syria - but this did not work out because he informed her that he was to be relocated to Iraq. On September 17, Evelyn T. returned to Austria and was detained for two weeks - the authorities had become aware of the IS sympathizer's travel activities. The prosecutor stated that the accused "did not abandon her radicalization in any way" while in prison.

Once free again, Evelyn T. reestablished contact with her husband via messenger services. He returned to Syria in May 2016 and settled in the city of Raqqa, which was considered the "capital of IS." To live there with his wife, Luqman al-Afghani, who changed his combat name several times, obtained the consent of the Emir of the IS "Immigration Office," Abu Yahya al-Rusi, and organized her journey.

Accused Cared for Husband Recovering from Gunshot Wound

She was a devout Muslim at the time, "you do what the man says," Evelyn T. told the court. She also had encouragement from her circle of friends to join her husband in Syria. Evelyn T. reached Raqqa by traveling by train to Athens on June 19, taking a bus to the Turkish border, and being smuggled into Syria with around 40 other people who wanted to join IS.

When she saw her husband again, he was recovering from a gunshot wound he had sustained in combat against the Syrian regime. Evelyn T. cared for her husband, managed the household - the two had been assigned an apartment in Raqqa - and gave birth to a son on May 21, 2017. Evelyn T. lived there "like a prisoner," emphasized defense attorney Mair: "She was only allowed to leave the house fully veiled and accompanied by her husband."

Life in Syria "Was Prison"

"It was prison. I didn't like it. I felt more imprisoned than in Austria," confirmed the accused. Everything was "lies, manipulation." She felt "no hatred against non-believers," which "shocked" her husband, who threatened her with "IS secret police." Her husband, recovering from a gunshot wound, was on sick leave and worked "as a cook, at the gas station."

She was "alone 24 hours" and locked in the house: "I wasn't allowed to look out the window or move the curtains. I did laundry, I couldn't cook. I told him that, he couldn't expect that." She sometimes played with her phone, "the internet was forbidden," Evelyn T. recalled. Thus "the months passed."

Pregnancy as a "Wake-Up Call"

Her pregnancy was "like a wake-up call," the defendant stated. It was then that "the bubble I had been in all the time burst." She realized that the life she had integrated into was "not what I want for my child. I didn't want my child to grow up like that, in such a radical environment. With ISIS and such a father." During this phase, she perceived her husband as "the greatest enemy."

After the birth of their son, her husband changed. "I will help you leave," he promised her and declared, "I want to leave too." "My child was my salvation," Evelyn T. testified. She and her husband left ISIS together: "We were on the road for a month." It was very dangerous, "anyone who wanted to leave ISIS and was caught faced the death penalty." By the end of 2017, however, there was already "chaos" in Syria, and ISIS had suffered defeats. When she and her husband finally surrendered to the Kurds, it was "a huge relief that I was out."

On November 1, 2017, the couple surrendered to the allied forces of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) after they had dealt a severe defeat to ISIS. Evelyn T. was subsequently interned with her son in the Al-Roj detention camp in Syria until the end of February 2025, before being repatriated by the Foreign Ministry.

Defendant in Vienna Reported Extensively on Experiences in the Camp

The 26-year-old described her life in the camp to the court in detail. At the beginning, there was "nothing at all": "We couldn't cook. We had to make fire. I was like a fool. I had no idea about anything." She kept telling herself to hold on each week and hoped for her imminent return to Austria: "Each week turned into months. Each month into years. With each year, it became increasingly difficult in the camp. There were more and more ISIS supporters."

However, she immediately renounced ISIS, even feeling "hatred towards these people." Due to her attitude, there were several conflicts with ISIS supporters. Once, she was attacked by a woman. "I still have the scars on my hand today," said Evelyn T. The camp was then divided, and ISIS supporters were taken to the "Black Camp." If someone did not follow the rules, they were taken to the third camp, the "Punishment Camp." When asked by the prosecutor, she stated that she had stayed in the first camp the entire time.

Life in the camp was a "struggle for survival." Many people died from diseases or fires. Due to the kerosene-powered heating in the tents, "one could not sleep heavily, as a tent could burn down in five minutes," said the defendant. Abuse and theft by soldiers or police officers were commonplace. Medical care was also difficult. When her son fell ill, she could only hope "that he wouldn't die." The camp was worse than prison. "I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone," emphasized Evelyn T.

By the way, Evelyn T. no longer has contact with her husband. After his capture, he was transferred to Iraq and is reportedly now sentenced to death as a former ISIS fighter.

(APA/Red)

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