A Tunisian court sentenced three brothers to 48 years in jail. Two were convicted on charges of joining the ISIS terror group and the third for joining an affiliate of the al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
The specialized court charged them with membership in a terrorist organization both locally and abroad, receiving military training with the intent of committing violence, providing weapons and ammunition to a terrorist organization and using Tunisian territory to recruit for terrorist acts.
The same court sentenced the three convicts’ sister to three years in jail for failing to inform authorities of her brothers’ activities and seeking to cover up their terrorist activities.
According to the case, the defendants were residents of Tunisia’s central west Kasserine province, a region that is known for budding terrorism in the African state. They were radicalized there and joined terrorist groups.
As an accomplice, the sister encouraged the defendants to continue challenging the state and take up arms against the security forces and the army.
Investigations also revealed that the sister, who remained unnamed by authorities, adopted a Takfiri-Jihadist ideology although she did not officially join any terrorist organization whether inside or outside the country.
In parallel, national security forces in the central city of Bouhajla arrested a terrorist fugitive, who is facing a prison sentence of 30 years.
The Interior Ministry reported that a high-risk stake out enabled security servicemen to capture the suspect as he attempted to leave a terrorist hideout to visit his sick mother in Sidi Bou Zid city.
Security sources reported that the suspect, 27, was riding in a light truck at the time of the arrest. The suspect will also appear before a specialized court, where he is expected to divulge information about the activities, locations and plots of terrorist members he was in contact with.
