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Kosovo Imam, Six Others Convicted In Pristina For Aiding Islamic State Militants


A Kosovo court announced on May 20 that it has sentenced seven men to prison terms of up to 10 years after finding them guilty of being part of the so-called Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

The main defendant, Imam Zekeria Qazimi, was jailed for 10 years for recruiting young Kosovars to go and fight in Syria for the IS.

Qazimi had been the imam at the El-Kuddus mosque in Gjilan when he was arrested in August 2014.

Evidence leading to his conviction included a video from 2013 in which Qazimi said: "The blood of infidels is the best drink for us."

The court in Pristina said on May 20 that five others were found guilty of "fighting with the terrorist organization” after travelling from Pristina to Turkey and then on to Syria.

The seventh man was found guilty of recruiting fighters for IS and fighting in Syria.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP

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