Tunisian Sentenced to Year in Prison for Pledging Allegiance to ISIS

Workers clean the site of an explosion in the center of the Tunisian capital Tunis. (Reuters file photo)
Workers clean the site of an explosion in the center of the Tunisian capital Tunis. (Reuters file photo)
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Tunisian Sentenced to Year in Prison for Pledging Allegiance to ISIS

Workers clean the site of an explosion in the center of the Tunisian capital Tunis. (Reuters file photo)
Workers clean the site of an explosion in the center of the Tunisian capital Tunis. (Reuters file photo)

A court in Tunis sentenced a Tunisian man to a one-year prison after being accused of pledging allegiance to the terrorist organization ISIS and planning attacks inside Tunisia.

Investigations confirmed that the defendant, who is in his 30s, intentionally downloaded a video from the websites affiliated with terrorist organizations. He urged Tunisian youths to travel to Libya and Syria, join ISIS and carry out attacks around the world, notably Tunisia.

Upon his appearance before the judicial authorities, the defendant confessed to the charges against him, but he denied adopting extremist ideology and contacting ISIS leaders.

A number of extremist groups experts, including Alia al-Alani, Faisal al-Sherif and Badra Gaaloul, confirmed that the security services are facing difficulties in cracking down on terrorists because they are often acting on their own.

In this regard, Alani said that the counter-terrorism agencies are required to update their records of suspects and add the names of people suspected or proven to have pledged allegiance to terrorist organizations.

The agencies need to adopt more sophisticated strategies in wake of the various terrorist attacks and stabbing incidents that have taken place against security and military personnel in Tunisia.

It has become necessary to monitor the suspects and uncover their plans during their early stages, before they are lured into joining ISIS and in executing their plots.



Syria Reaches Deal to Integrate SDF within State Institutions, Presidency Says

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
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Syria Reaches Deal to Integrate SDF within State Institutions, Presidency Says

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)

The Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of Syria's oil-rich northeast, has signed a deal agreeing to integrate into Syria's new state institutions, the Syrian presidency said on Monday.

The deal, which included a complete cessation of hostilities, was signed by interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the SDF's commander, Mazloum Abdi.

Under the deal, whose text was posted online by the presidency, all civilian and military institutions in northeast Syria will be integrated within the state, which will thus take over control of borders, airports and oil and gas fields.

The SDF agrees to support the government in combating remnants of deposed president Bashar al-Assad's regime, and any threats to Syria's security and unity.

Since Assad was overthrown by Sharaa's Islamist forces in December, groups backed by Türkiye, one of Sharaa's main supporters, have clashed with the SDF, the main ally in a US coalition against ISIS militants in Syria.

The SDF is spearheaded by the YPG militia, a group that Ankara sees as an extension of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought the Turkish state for 40 years.

Türkiye regards the PKK, YPG and SDF as terrorist groups, and Sharaa's new Damascus administration had been pressing the SDF to merge into newly-minted state security forces.

Abdi had previously expressed a willingness for his forces to be part of the new defense ministry, but said they should join as a bloc rather than individuals, an idea that was rejected by the new government.

The US and Türkiye’s Western allies list the PKK as a terrorist group, but not the YPG or the SDF.