Germany jails Syrian refugee for attempting to defraud IS

Germany jails Syrian refugee for attempting to defraud IS
German court inadvertently grants legal protection to the Islamic State group after a Syrian refugee attempted to swindle more than $200,000 from the extremists.
1 min read
15 August, 2017
Syrian refugee 'Hassan A' attempted to defraud the IS group out of over $200,000 [AFP]

A Syrian refugee has been sentenced to two years in jail by a German court for attempting to defraud the Islamic State group of more than $200,000.

The ruling against the 39-year-old hairdresser from Damascus, named only as 'Hasan A', bizarrely grants the extremist group legal protection against fraud.

According to a court spokeswoman, Hassan A had attempted to convince IS operatives to transfer him up to 180,000 euros [$211,000] for carrying out a terror attack.

The money was never transferred, however prosecutors argued that the man was guilty of the more serious crime of planning a terror attack.

The judge, meanwhile, ruled that the man had said that he would carry out the attacks under false pretences.

Both the prosecutors and Hassan A have appealed the decision to the Federal Supreme court.