Iraq Sentences Three French Nationals to Life for Islamic State Membership
Iraq Court Sentences Three French Nationals to Life
Three French nationals were sentenced to life in prison in Iraq on Thursday for belonging to Islamic State, with their lawyers and French embassy representatives present at the hearing, a court statement said. [1] The three were among 47 French Islamic State suspects transferred from detention facilities in northeast Syria to Iraq last year. [1] Their lawyers and French embassy representatives were present at the hearing. [1]
Recent Convictions of French Suspects
On Tuesday, six French nationals from the same group were sentenced to life in prison and a seventh to 15 years for belonging to the Islamist militant group. [1] The three French nationals were among 47 French Islamic State suspects transferred from northeast Syria to Iraq last year. [1] On Tuesday, six other French nationals from the same group received life sentences and a seventh was sentenced to 15 years. [1]
Transfers From Syria to Iraq
The three were among 47 French Islamic State suspects transferred from detention facilities in northeast Syria to Iraq last year. [1] The United States announced in January that it was completing the transfer of Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq amid concerns about the security of their detention facilities after Kurdish-led forces lost control of parts of the region. [1] The three French nationals were among 47 French Islamic State suspects transferred from northeast Syria to Iraq last year. [1]
Background on Islamic State
Islamic State seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014 before being driven from its self-declared caliphate by a US-led coalition and local forces in 2019. [1] Many of its fighters were detained, but remnants of the organisation continue to operate. [1] Islamic State seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014 before being driven from its self-declared caliphate by a US-led coalition and local forces in 2019. [1]
Other Global Crime Developments
Hundreds of customers' personal information at cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb has been leaked in a recent cyberattack, industry sources said Thursday. [3] Bithumb reported a data breach in its in-house mobile system on Wednesday, but the incident was initially believed to have affected only its employees. [3] After analyzing the scope of the data leak, Bithumb found that personal information of hundreds of customers has also been exposed, according to the sources. [3] Three financial firms -- Daishin Securities, Mirae Asset Global Investments and Bithumb -- have been hit by cyberattacks, in the latest hacking attack targeting the nation's financial institutions. [3]
A Russian woman accused of stabbing two Jewish men in separate attacks minutes apart in Manhattan last week was charged Wednesday with two federal hate crimes, the Justice Department announced. [4]
The police in Imo State say they have begun investigation into a viral video showing an officer assaulting a man along the Owerri–Orlu Road in the state. [2] The police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, said in a statement on Wednesday that the incident happened on Tuesday. [2] The video clip, which has now gone viral on social media, showed the armed officer assaulting the victim while his fellow officers tried to restrain him. [2] The officer was subsequently seen attempting to cock his rifle while pointing it at the man. [2] The man, a motorist, later told the officer’s colleagues that the officer stopped him to check his vehicle documents and then demanded “fuel money”, which he declined, prompting the officer to descend on him. [2] In Wednesday’s statement, Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, said the police in the state have identified the officer as Gabriel Utuh, an assistant superintendent of police. [2] The spokesperson said the officer was the team leader of the Rapid Response Squad patrol team deployed along the Owerri–Orlu Road in the state. [2] “The circumstances surrounding the incident are being thoroughly investigated, and appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken against any erring officer,” he said. [2] Mr Okoye assured residents of Imo State that the investigation would be “thorough, impartial and guided by the principles of accountability and professionalism.” [2] The spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Audu Bosso, has reiterated the command’s zero tolerance for unprofessional conduct, abuse of authority, and violations of citizens’ fundamental rights. [2]
Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of 34-year-old mobile money vendor Christian Amponsah, whose body was discovered at a guest house around Kasoa Second in the Central Region. [5] The Central East Regional Police Command said the suspects, identified as 59-year-old Felicia Osei Appiah, 24-year-old Clement Opoku Yeboah and a female juvenile, were arrested on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. [5] According to the police, the arrests followed investigations into the death of Amponsah after the manager of the guest house reported discovering the victim lying motionless in a room. [5] The manager told police that the deceased and the juvenile had checked into the guest house and booked a room for two hours. [5] When the booking period elapsed and neither occupant emerged, he went to check on them. [5] He reportedly discovered Amponsah lying motionless in a pool of blood, prompting a report to the police. [5] Officers who visited the scene found the deceased lying face down, with bedsheets, curtains and pillows covering his body. [5] The body was subsequently conveyed to the Police Hospital Mortuary in Accra for preservation, identification and autopsy. [5] The three suspects are currently in police custody and assisting with investigations as authorities work to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing and the respective roles, if any, of those arrested. [5] The Command said investigations were ongoing and that steps were being taken to put the suspects before court. [5]
What to watch next: Remnants of Islamic State continue to operate despite the loss of its self-declared caliphate, while separate investigations into the Bithumb data breach, the federal hate crime charges in New York, the Imo State police assault, and the Kasoa guest house murder remain active.
