Düsseldorf court sentences two brothers to prison for IS terrorism

The Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf has sentenced two brothers, aged 47 and 43, to four years in prison each for their involvement with the Islamic State (IS). The men were found guilty of joining the terrorist organization in Iraq in 2016.

Evidence presented during the trial included intelligence reports and IS payroll lists that recorded the men's specific roles. One brother served as a member of a Sharia committee, while the other worked as a military policeman and later for the IS secret police. Following the military defeat of IS in 2017, the brothers traveled through Turkey and Greece before arriving in Germany.

The court considered certain factors as mitigating circumstances, noting that the Iraqi brothers had fled to IS-controlled territory because they were being persecuted and threatened by Shia militias as Sunnis. The investigation, led by the Federal Prosecutor's Office, resulted in their arrest on December 2, 2025. The verdict is not yet legally binding.