A court in Iraq has sentenced three men to death after finding them guilty of joining Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), officials confirmed on Sunday.A court official, who spoke to the press on condition of anonymity, said the trio were sentenced "after it was proven that they were members of the terrorist Islamic State organization."The men have 30 days to appeal their conviction.The three were reportedly captured in Syria by US-backed forces before being brought to Iraq for trial.While hundreds of foreign fighters have been tried in Iraq for IS membership and activities, none have yet been executed. These are the first French members to be sentenced to death by an Iraqi court.According to French government figures, up to 1,700 in the four years up to 2018 to fight with IS. It's not clear how many of the survivors would be repatriated to France,and instead will consider the return of children on a case-by-case basis.Earlier this year French Secretary of State Laurent Nunez said that any jihadists returning to France will face prosecution, telling BFMTV "they will all be put on trial and incarcerated." </s> Three Frenchmen have been sentenced to death by an Iraqi court after being found guilty of joining the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

The men - named as Kévin Gonot, Léonard Lopez and Salim Machou by AFP news agency - have 30 days to appeal.

They were among 12 French citizens captured in Syria by US-backed fighters. In February they were transferred to Iraq for trial.

The three are the first IS suspects from France to be sentenced to death.

France has yet to react to Sunday's court ruling in Baghdad. But when pressed on the issue in February, French President Emmanuel Macron declined to comment, saying it was a sovereign matter for Iraq.

Human rights groups have heavily criticised the trials of suspected IS fighters in Iraq. Activists they say the courts often rely on circumstantial evidence or confessions made under duress.

What do we know about the three?

Gonot, 32, is from south-eastern France. He is believed to have entered Syria through Turkey to join the al-Nusra Front, a branch of al-Qaeda, before pledging allegiance to IS.

He was arrested in Syria with his mother, his wife, and his half-brother in December 2017. A French court has also sentenced him in absentia to nine years in prison.

Machou, 41, belonged to an IS cell composed of European fighters that has carried out attacks in Iraq and Syria and planned others in Paris and Brussels, according to the Centre d'Analyse du Terrorisme (CAT), a French think tank.

Lopez, a 32-year-old from Paris, also travelled with his wife and two children to IS-held Mosul in northern Iraq before entering Syria, CAT quotes French investigators as saying.

His lawyer, Nabil Boudi, condemned the trial as "summary justice". He told AFP news agency that the death sentence had been "based solely on a series of interrogations in Baghdad jails".

Why were they transferred to Iraq?

IS once controlled vast swathes of territory stretching across Syria and Iraq. After years of fighting, Iraq declared victory on its side of the border in late 2017.

On the Syrian side, the main offensive was led by a US-backed alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The group captured the last stronghold held by the jihadists in March.

An estimated 1,000 foreign fighters - as well as many women and children - are estimated to be in SDF custody.

Iraq has offered to try all foreign fighters held by the SDF. Several hundreds have been transferred for trial by Iraqi courts but none have so far been executed.

What has happened to foreigners who joined IS?

More than 41,000 people from dozens of countries are estimated to have joined IS in Syria and Iraq - about a quarter of them women and children.

Almost 6,000 came from Western Europe.

Approximately 850 people from the UK were among them, including 145 women and 50 children.

The vast majority of IS militants are believed to have been either killed or captured. It is unclear how many foreigners have died.

Researchers suggest at least 7,000 have travelled back to their countries of origin.

Those countries have raised concerns about bringing hardened jihadists back and the challenges of gathering evidence to support prosecutions. </s> France is planning to repatriate more than 100 Isil suspects from Syria amid fears they could lose track of them after US troops withdraw from the war-torn country.

France is planning to repatriate more than 100 Isil suspects from Syria amid fears they could lose track of them after US troops withdraw from the war-torn country.

Some 130 Isil suspects being held in custody by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in prisons across northern Syria are to be sent back within the next few weeks, according to French channel BFMTV.

"All those who will return to France will be entrusted to the judges. The judge will decide that it will be necessary to put them in prison," Christophe Castaner, France's Interior Minister, told BFMTV.

"The Americans are disengaging from Syria… There are now people in prison who are being held because the Americans are there and who are going to be released… They'll want to return to France."

Among those in SDF custody are a number of senior French Isil leaders including Adrien Guihal, a Muslim who was part of the infamous Artigat network that masterminded several attacks in France, including one in Nice which killed 87 people.

Such a decision would make France the first European country to take back citizens arrested on suspicion of links to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).

Only the US, Lebanon, Russia, Indonesia and Sudan, have so far agreed to repatriate their nationals.

Thousands of other foreign Isil members in SDF detention remain in limbo, including six British male Isil suspects, seven women and 12 of their children.

Britain and other countries have expressed reluctance to take back those with links to Isil, citing fears they represent a security threat.

They have also indicated concern about evidential and legal challenges that would prevent them from prosecuting returning extremists.

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, the two so-called Beatles jihadists, have had their UK citizenship revoked.

The Kurdish-led SDF has been supported on the ground by US special forces, as well as British and French.

However, US President Donald Trump announced he was to bring home 2,000 American troops within months.

Following the announcement, Turkey, which considers Kurdish militants fighting with the SDF to be terrorists, threatened to carry out an assault on Kurdish-held areas near their shared border.

The Kurds warned they may not be able to keep jihadists inside their jails.

There also remains the possibility that the SDF, which has begun talks with the Bashar al-Assad government, could hand over prisoners to the regime.

Tens of thousands have disappeared inside government prisons, where many were executed without trial.

"Reversal of French policy with respect to Isil suspects held in northern Syria, as France finally agrees to take its nationals back," Nadim Houry, director of the counterterrorism programme at Human Rights Watch, tweeted. "This may be unpopular but it is the right thing to do. Prosecute those who committed crimes, reintegrate children."

The plan provoked outrage on the right. Eric Ciotti, a conservative MP from the main opposition party, the Republicans, said: "The place of jihadists who betrayed our nation and fought our civilisation is no longer in France. Let them be judged in Iraq or Syria."

Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader, also took exception to a remark by Mr Castaner that those in Syria and Iraq "are jihadists, but they were French first". "Non @CCastaner They are jihadists, they should no longer be French," she tweeted. (© Daily Telegraph London) </s> Image copyright Reuters Image caption The men were found guilty of joining Islamic State (file image)

Four French men have been sentenced to death by an Iraqi court after being found guilty of joining the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

Kévin Gonot, Léonard Lopez and Salim Machou were sentenced on Sunday and a fourth man, Mustapha Merzoughi, on Monday, the AFP news agency reported.

They were among 12 French citizens captured in Syria by US-backed fighters and transferred to Iraq for trial.

These are the first IS suspects from France to be sentenced to death.

What do we know about the four?

Gonot, 32, is from south-eastern France. He is believed to have entered Syria through Turkey to join the al-Nusra Front, which was once affiliated with al-Qaeda, before pledging allegiance to IS.

He was arrested in Syria with his mother, his wife, and his half-brother in December 2017.

Machou, 41, belonged to an IS cell composed of European fighters that has carried out attacks in Iraq and Syria and planned others in Paris and Brussels, according to the Centre d'Analyse du Terrorisme (CAT), a French think tank.

Lopez, a 32-year-old from Paris, also travelled with his wife and two children to IS-held Mosul in northern Iraq before entering Syria, CAT quotes French investigators as saying.

His lawyer, Nabil Boudi, condemned the trial as "summary justice".

Merzoughi, 37, from Toulouse and of Tunisian roots, reportedly passed through Belgium and Morocco and had religious and military training in Aleppo in northern Syria.

He said he was "not guilty of crimes and killings" and had simply travelled to Syria.

How has France reacted?

France has said its adult citizens should be tried locally and has refused to take them back.

When pressed on the issue in February, French President Emmanuel Macron declined to comment, saying it was a sovereign matter for Iraq.

But on Monday, the foreign ministry said France was "opposed in principle to the death penalty at all times" and would take "necessary steps" to prevent Iraq from carrying it out.

Human rights groups have heavily criticised the trials of suspected IS fighters in Iraq. Activists say the courts often rely on circumstantial evidence or confessions made under duress.

Why were the men transferred to Iraq?

IS once controlled vast swathes of territory stretching across Syria and Iraq. After years of fighting, Iraq declared victory on its side of the border in late 2017.

On the Syrian side, the main offensive was led by a US-backed alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The group captured the last stronghold held by the jihadists in March.

An estimated 1,000 foreign fighters - as well as many women and children - are estimated to be in SDF custody.

Iraq has offered to try all foreign fighters held by the SDF. Several hundreds have been transferred for trial by Iraqi courts but none have so far been executed.

What has happened to foreigners who joined IS?

More than 41,000 people from dozens of countries are estimated to have joined IS in Syria and Iraq - about a quarter of them women and children.

Almost 6,000 came from Western Europe.

Approximately 850 people from the UK were among them, including 145 women and 50 children.

The vast majority of IS militants are believed to have been either killed or captured. It is unclear how many foreigners have died.

Researchers suggest at least 7,000 have travelled back to their countries of origin.

Those countries have raised concerns about bringing hardened jihadists back and the challenges of gathering evidence to support prosecutions. </s> France has confirmed it would take “the necessary steps” to try to prevent Iraq carrying out the death penalty against three French citizens convicted of fighting with Islamic State.

The French foreign ministry said on Monday: “France is opposed in principle to the death penalty at all times and in all places.”

It said the detained men were receiving consular assistance to ensure they had legal representation ahead of an expected appeal, which they have 30 days to lodge. The three men were sentenced on Sunday.

It added, however, that France “respects the sovereignty of Iraq’s institutions”.

The French government has long insisted its adult citizens captured in Iraq or Syria should face trial locally, refusing to repatriate them despite the fact they are at risk of capital punishment.

The three French Isis members – Kevin Gonot, Leonard Lopez and Salim Machou – were transferred to Iraq for trial after being caught by US-backed forces in Syria.

They were among 13 French nationals caught in eastern Syria and handed to Iraqi authorities in February on suspicion of being members of the group’s feared contingent of foreign fighters.

Iraq has taken custody of thousands of jihadists, and the Iraqi judiciary said recently that it had tried and sentenced more than 500 suspected foreign members of Isis since the start of 2018.

Its courts have condemned many to life in prison and others to death, though none have yet been executed. </s> France is reporting planning to repatriate more than 100 Isil suspects from Syria amid fears they could lose track of them after US troops withdraw from the war-torn country.

Some 130 Islamic State suspects being held in custody by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in prisons across northern Syria are to be sent back within the next few weeks, according to French channel BFMTV.

"All those who will return to France will be entrusted to the judges. The judge will decide that it will be necessary to put them in prison," Christophe Castaner, France’s Interior Minister, told BFMTV.

“The Americans are disengaging from Syria… There are now people in prison who are being held because the Americans are there and who are going to be released… They’ll want to return to France.”

Among those in SDF custody are a number of senior French Isil leaders including Adrien Guihal, a Muslim who was part of the infamous Artigat network that masterminded several attacks in France, including one in Nice which killed 87 people.

Such a decision would make France the first European country to take back citizens arrested on suspicion of links to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Only the US, Lebanon, Russia, Indonesia and Sudan, have so far agreed to repatriate their nationals. </s> France's government is preparing for an influx of homegrown jihadis with the departure of U.S. troops from Syria, saying Tuesday that anyone who left to fight for Islamic extremists will go straight to jail.

In an interview with BFM television, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said that a handful of French jihadis had already returned and more would follow soon. Neither he nor France's foreign ministry confirmed BFM's report that as many as 130 could come back within weeks.

"The Americans are leaving Syria. It's important to keep that in mind," Castaner said. "There are a certain number who are imprisoned because the Americans are there, and they will be freed. They will want to return to France."

The question of what to do with foreigners who joined the Islamic State group has grown increasingly thorny as the U.S. departure looms.

French jihadis made up the largest contingent of European recruits, and in 2015 and 2016 an Islamic State cell of French and Belgian fighters who sneaked in from Turkey attacked Paris and Brussels.

Britain refuses to take back citizens who joined the group and has stripped their citizenship. Other European countries have remained largely silent about the fate of men and women whom many see as a security threat.

"These are people who have voluntarily joined a terrorist organization ... that has committed attacks in France and continues to threaten us," France's foreign ministry said.

Castaner said all would be jailed immediately in France and face trial, but declined to provide details.

Kurdish authorities in Syria have detained 900 foreign members of the group, and 4,000 family of IS members, according to Ilham Ahmed, a senior Syrian Kurdish official. Russia has taken some of the recruits back and jailed them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there are at least 78 French women and children who had recently come out of the last stronghold of IS in eastern Syria. This is in addition to another 65 previously evacuated from other IS held areas and in Kurdish custody. It was not clear if Castaner was also speaking of civilians and families of IS members.

Castaner said a small number had already returned to France, although it's not clear whether they had voluntarily surrendered or were repatriated, or whether he meant fighters or their families.

In April, then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said French special forces had joined American troops in Syria. </s> French jihadists detained in Syria by Kurdish-led forces could be returned to France and jailed, French officials said Tuesday, in a change of position brought about by the planned withdrawal of US forces.

France is worried that French prisoners held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) could be released or escape after US President Donald Trump announced plans last month to pull American forces out of Syria.

Until now, French officials had insisted the fighters and their wives must be prosecuted and jailed locally, while offering to take back the children of jihadists and place them with relatives in France.

“Given the development of the military situation in north-east Syria, the American decisions, and to ensure the security of the French, we are examining all options to avoid the escape and scattering of these potentially dangerous individuals,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

“If the forces who are guarding the French fighters took the decision to expel them to France they would be immediately placed in the hands of the law,” it added.

Making clear the jihadists — many of whom enlisted with Islamic State — would face the full weight of the law, the ministry added: “These people voluntarily joined a terrorist organisation which is fighting in the Levant, carried out attacks in France and continues to threaten us.”

Speaking to BFM news channel earlier Tuesday, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner linked the decision to the US withdrawal.

“The Americans are pulling out of Syria. There are currently people in prison (in a Kurdish-controlled part of Syria) and who are being held because the Americans are there and who will be freed,” he said.

A French security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that 130 people could be repatriated, confirming a figure reported by the BFM news channel which said the group included men and women.

But a second French official, also speaking on condition of anonymity to AFP, said the group included some 70-80 children being held with their mothers.

The French foreign ministry said in its statement that it could “in no way confirm” the figure of 130.

The French government has for years been grappling with what to do with French nationals who are thought to have fought alongside IS or other extremist groups in Syria or Iraq.

Up to 1,700 French nationals are thought to have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside Islamic State between 2014-2018, according to government figures.

Castaner denied that the government was softening its position.

“It’s not a question of being taken back. If they come to France they will be incarcerated,” he said.

Trump shocked America’s allies in December by announcing that the US, which heads up a coalition that has been carrying out airstrikes against IS since 2014, would withdraw its 2,000 remaining troops from Syria on the grounds that the jihadists had been “largely defeated”.

The announcement came as a blow particularly to the Kurdish-led SDF forces which have spearheaded the fight against IS on the ground.

The SDF is dominated by the Kurdish YPG militia, which is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, which is threatening to attack the group.

France fears that if the Kurdish forces are drawn into battle with Turkey in northeast Syria the foreign jihadists being held there could escape or be freed.

That would pose a significant threat for France, where jihadists have been involved in a number of deadly attacks since 2015, including the Paris attacks of November 2015 in which 130 people were killed.

If Turkey holds off on its threat to attack Kurdish forces, Paris fears that the Kurds could seek protection from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who could then use French prisoners as bargaining chips with Paris, French diplomats have said. </s> Iraqi court sentences 3 French members of IS to death

BAGHDAD (AP) — A Baghdad court Sunday sentenced to death three French citizens for being members of the Islamic State group, an Iraqi judicial official said. The verdict raised fresh questions about the legal treatment of thousands of foreign nationals formerly with the extremist group.

The official said the three were among 12 French citizens whom the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces handed over to Iraq in January.

They can appeal the sentences within a month, according to the official.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media. Iraqi President Barham Saleh had said during a February visit to Paris that the 12 will be prosecuted in accordance with Iraqi laws.

The SDF has handed over to Iraq hundreds of suspected IS members in recent months.

The trials of the French nationals in Baghdad raise the difficult question of whether foreign IS suspects should be tried and punished in the country of their alleged crimes, even when there are serious doubts about the impartiality of the courts in Iraq and Syria. The thousands of men and women who came from around the world to join the self-styled Islamic caliphate have been left in limbo following the group's territorial defeat earlier this year in Syria. Many of their home countries hesitate to take back citizens they see as having gone willingly to join the extremist group.

In March, Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi asserted Iraq's authority to try foreign IS suspects detained in Syria because "the battlefields were one."

The three men are the first French IS members to receive death sentences in Iraq. It wasn't immediately clear how France, which abolished the death penalty nearly four decades ago, will react to the sentence. It could be a test for how the international community handles the thousands of foreign nationals who stayed, or were trapped, with the Islamic State group through its dying days.

The women and children are languishing in camps run by the Kurdish forces that led the fight against IS in northeast Syria, where the militants made their last stand. Thousands more men are detained by the Kurdish-led SDF, held in jails in northeast Syria on the suspicion that they fought for IS.

Iraqi prosecutors say the 12 French nationals are accused of belonging to IS, were parties or accomplices to its crimes, and threatened the national security of Iraq. Simply belonging to the extremist group is punishable by life in prison or execution under Iraq's counter-terrorism laws.

A French diplomatic official, speaking on condition of anonymity to speak freely about policy, said France recognizes the right of Iraq to try people for crimes committed in Iraq.

But human rights groups and advocates of the men in France say it is not certain that the men committed crimes in Iraq, or if they were even ever in the country. They also doubt the impartiality of the courts, which have handed down hundreds of death sentences to Iraqi suspects in trials that run for just a few minutes.

Iraq has detained or imprisoned at least 19,000 people accused of connections to IS or other terror-related offenses, and sentenced more than 3,000 of them to death, according to an analysis by The Associated Press last year.
About 130 French citizens who joined the Islamic State are expected to be returned to France by their Kurdish captors to face trial.