Fifteen years in prison for jihadist caught in Amsterdam debate center

Aziz A. was sentenced to 15 years and nine months in prison on Monday for, among other things, leading a terrorist organization and preparing terrorist crimes. A., who suddenly popped up in De Balie debate center in Amsterdam in 2017, is said to have been in the highest echelons of terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra.

A prison sentence of 23 years was demanded against the 35-year-old A. The Rotterdam court also considered it proven that Aziz's brother, Fatah, led a terrorist organization, among other things. He was sentenced to 11 years and nine months in prison. That is higher than the ten years that was demanded. 

Aziz was caught after being recognized by activists from the group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently during a screening of a documentary about Raqqa, the Syrian capital and self-proclaimed caliphate of Islamic State (ISIS).