In Washington, a man who became a U.S. citizen after emigrating from Kosovo was sentenced to a decade in federal prison on charges related to terrorism. The individual, Lirim Sylejmani, confessed to receiving military training from the Islamic State group, leading to his conviction. Sylejmani’s actions involved participating in a conflict against the coalition forces led by the U.S. after he traveled to Syria in 2015, as confirmed by court prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington, D.C., concluded that Sylejmani would serve ten years in prison followed by a lifetime under supervised release. This legal consequence follows Sylejmani’s admission of guilt in December last year to the accusation of receiving military training from a foreign terrorist group.
Sylejmani was originally from Kosovo and relocated to Chicago approximately 25 years ago. In November 2015, he, along with his family, traveled to Turkey and crossed into Syria, where he began his training with other recruits of the Islamic State. His involvement came at a high personal cost as prosecutors disclosed that he was wounded during a clash with Syrian forces in June 2016. Eventually, in February 2019, he and his family were apprehended in Baghouz, Syria.
Prosecutors highlighted the gravity of his actions, stating, “The conduct is far more than a single, impulsive act. He chose to jeopardize the safety of his family by bringing them to a war-torn country to join and take up arms for ISIS.” They emphasized the deliberate choice Sylejmani made by putting his family in such a perilous situation.
On the other hand, Sylejmani’s defense team argued that he is not a devoted jihadist and does not advocate violence. They revealed his feelings of regret, “He is guilt-ridden for his actions and the harm he has visited on his family, who remain detained in a refugee camp in Syria living under terrible conditions.” His lawyers expressed that his primary desire now is to serve his sentence, be reunited with his wife and children, and live a peaceful, law-abiding life away from conflict.