Düsseldorf trial of brothers accused of ISIS Sharia judge role

Two Iraqi brothers, aged 47 and 43, appeared before the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court on 8 July 2026. Prosecutors allege they joined the Islamic State between 2016 and 2017. The older brother is accused of serving as a Sharia‑court judge within an ISIS committee, while the younger fought as a combatant. Both are said to have been paid roughly $1,000 and $3,000 respectively for their services. After the group’s military decline, the brothers fled via Greece and entered Germany, where they were arrested on 2 December 2025. The case relies on seized ISIS data and salary lists. The defendants have so far declined to comment on the charges, and the trial is scheduled to run until mid‑September.