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Czech Is Sentenced to Prison for Trying to Join ISIS Czech Is Sentenced to Prison for Trying to Join ISIS
(about 2 hours later)
PRAGUE — A former mechanic from a sleepy town in the western part of the Czech Republic had never even met a Muslim when he decided last year to travel to Syria to take up arms for the Islamic State.PRAGUE — A former mechanic from a sleepy town in the western part of the Czech Republic had never even met a Muslim when he decided last year to travel to Syria to take up arms for the Islamic State.
On Friday, the mechanic, Jan Silovsky, 22, was sentenced to three years and three months in jail for his effort to join the terrorist group, the first Czech citizen convicted on terrorism charges. On Friday, the mechanic, Jan Silovsky, 22, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison for his effort to join the terrorist group, the first Czech citizen convicted on terrorism charges.
“He acted with the aim to join the Islamic State’s operations and induce significant harm or death,” the judge, Martin Kantor, said. Mr. Silovsky faced 12 years to life in prison for supporting terrorism, but psychiatrists who evaluated his mental health said he had been suffering from schizoid personality disorder, which significantly lowered his ability to control his own actions. “He acted with the aim to join the Islamic State’s operations and induce significant harm or death,” the judge, Martin Kantor, said.
Mr. Silovsky faced 12 years to life in prison for supporting terrorism, but psychiatrists who evaluated his mental health said he had schizoid personality disorder, which significantly lowered his ability to control his own actions.
“His intelligence is above average but his personality has developed disharmoniously and shows signs of lacking emotion, reticence, and difficulties in building relationships with other people,” a psychiatrist, Vlastimil Tichy, told the court. Mr. Silovsky’s sentence includes mandatory psychiatric treatment.“His intelligence is above average but his personality has developed disharmoniously and shows signs of lacking emotion, reticence, and difficulties in building relationships with other people,” a psychiatrist, Vlastimil Tichy, told the court. Mr. Silovsky’s sentence includes mandatory psychiatric treatment.
During the two-week trial, which has riveted the country, the defense team sought to portray Mr. Silovsky as a lost and mentally unstable man who had come under the influence of manipulative terrorist propaganda. But prosecutors said that he had willingly sought to fight in the ranks of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. “He was fully aware that he would be killing people,” a prosecutor, Jan Kubias, said. During the two-week trial, which has riveted the country, the defense team sought to portray Mr. Silovsky as a lost and mentally unstable man who had come under the influence of manipulative terrorist propaganda.
Mr. Silovsky’s evolution from small-town boy to would-be terrorist began about four years ago, while he was attending vocational school. In his third year there, feeling increasingly depressed and isolated, he turned to the Bible but said that he put it aside after reading the Old Testament. He then bought a Quran. “It appealed to me much more. I considered Islam generally better that Christianity,” he told the court, adding that he secretly converted to the religion. But prosecutors said that he had willingly sought to fight in the ranks of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.
“He was fully aware that he would be killing people,” a prosecutor, Jan Kubias, said.
Mr. Silovsky’s evolution from small-town boy to would-be terrorist began about four years ago, while he was attending vocational school. In his third year there, feeling increasingly depressed and isolated, he turned to the Bible but said that he put it aside after reading the Old Testament. He then bought a Quran.
“It appealed to me much more. I considered Islam generally better that Christianity,” he told the court, adding that he secretly converted to the religion.
“I was not in touch with any other Muslims, in the Czech Republic or abroad,’’ he said. “Nobody knew of my conversion, not even my mother.”“I was not in touch with any other Muslims, in the Czech Republic or abroad,’’ he said. “Nobody knew of my conversion, not even my mother.”
His parents had divorced when he was three and he grew up with his mother and sister. Mr. Silovsky worked for an auto parts manufacturer after completing school. “He worked very hard, he was always on time,” his boss at the company told the Czech news media in August, after Mr. Silovsky was arrested. Other people who knew him said he never smoked or drank alcohol, and would rarely talk to anyone. His mother, who appeared before the court, said she had no idea of her son’s support for the Islamic State. His parents had divorced when he was 3 and he grew up with his mother and sister. Mr. Silovsky worked for an auto parts manufacturer after completing school.
After converting to Islam, Mr. Silovsky began learning English and Arabic, and started to search for information about the Islamic State. “The things they were doing didn’t seem that terrible to me,” he told the police after his arrest. “I liked their ideology and the fact they wanted to unite the Middle East and form a single state there. I wanted to help them.” “He worked very hard, he was always on time,” his boss at the company told the Czech news media in August, after Mr. Silovsky was arrested.
Other people who knew him said he never smoked or drank alcohol, and would rarely talk to anyone. His mother, who appeared before the court, said she had no idea of her son’s support for the Islamic State.
After converting to Islam, Mr. Silovsky began learning English and Arabic, and started to search for information about the Islamic State.
“The things they were doing didn’t seem that terrible to me,” he told the police after his arrest. “I liked their ideology and the fact they wanted to unite the Middle East and form a single state there. I wanted to help them.”
Last February, he bought a ticket to fly from Prague to Gaziantep, Turkey, and reserved a car at a local rental agency so he could drive to the Syrian border. He wanted to reach Jarabulus, Syria, which was under ISIS control.Last February, he bought a ticket to fly from Prague to Gaziantep, Turkey, and reserved a car at a local rental agency so he could drive to the Syrian border. He wanted to reach Jarabulus, Syria, which was under ISIS control.
During a stopover in Istanbul, Turkish police officers detained him for questioning. The next day, the Turkish authorities returned him to the Czech Republic. The Czech authorities investigated him until July, when, the authorities said, he admitted that he wanted to become an ISIS fighter. At that point, he was arrested.During a stopover in Istanbul, Turkish police officers detained him for questioning. The next day, the Turkish authorities returned him to the Czech Republic. The Czech authorities investigated him until July, when, the authorities said, he admitted that he wanted to become an ISIS fighter. At that point, he was arrested.
In his first appearance before the court earlier this month, Mr. Silovsky said he had wanted to go to Syria but did not want to kill anyone. “I wanted them to kill me,” he said. When asked why he wanted to die, he said he had been suffering from anxiety, had no friends and no girlfriend, and had tried to kill himself four years ago but told no one. In his first appearance before the court this month, Mr. Silovsky said he had wanted to go to Syria but did not want to kill anyone. “I wanted them to kill me,” he said. When asked why he wanted to die, he said he had been suffering from anxiety, had no friends and no girlfriend, and had tried to kill himself four years ago but told no one.
However, Mr. Silovsky told had police investigators earlier that he thought he would be killing “Syrian soldiers as well as Americans for being imperialists and Russians for killing Muslims.” He also told the police he would have been willing to carry out executions, “but only of those who deserve it — murderers or drug smugglers.”However, Mr. Silovsky told had police investigators earlier that he thought he would be killing “Syrian soldiers as well as Americans for being imperialists and Russians for killing Muslims.” He also told the police he would have been willing to carry out executions, “but only of those who deserve it — murderers or drug smugglers.”
“I would shoot those people; I would certainly not cut their throats,” he told the police.“I would shoot those people; I would certainly not cut their throats,” he told the police.
Experts say the case has shown how Islamic State propaganda can influence vulnerable young people, even in a country with few Muslims. During four decades of Communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe, immigration was relatively low, and today, only about 20,000 of the Czech Republic’s 10.5 million inhabitants are Muslim.Experts say the case has shown how Islamic State propaganda can influence vulnerable young people, even in a country with few Muslims. During four decades of Communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe, immigration was relatively low, and today, only about 20,000 of the Czech Republic’s 10.5 million inhabitants are Muslim.
“Islam in its fundamentalist form provides simple guidelines,” Dr. Tichy, the psychiatrist, testified at the trial. “The way the Islamic State is presented in the media can be very appealing for such frustrated individuals, although I do think they would be disillusioned once they get there.”“Islam in its fundamentalist form provides simple guidelines,” Dr. Tichy, the psychiatrist, testified at the trial. “The way the Islamic State is presented in the media can be very appealing for such frustrated individuals, although I do think they would be disillusioned once they get there.”
Miroslav Mares, a Czech expert on terrorism, said in an interview: “What’s interesting here is that, apparently, the man had no ties with the Muslim community and is an ethnic Czech.”Miroslav Mares, a Czech expert on terrorism, said in an interview: “What’s interesting here is that, apparently, the man had no ties with the Muslim community and is an ethnic Czech.”
“I think ISIS could have an appeal for being seen as ‘pure evil,’” Mr. Mares said. “In the 1990s, people like Silovsky might have become neo-Nazis. But today, it’s groups like ISIS that seem to attract them.”“I think ISIS could have an appeal for being seen as ‘pure evil,’” Mr. Mares said. “In the 1990s, people like Silovsky might have become neo-Nazis. But today, it’s groups like ISIS that seem to attract them.”
Mr. Mares said the Czech authorities, which last year introduced stricter penalties for terrorism crimes as well as new types of terror-related crimes, should also focus on media education and promote awareness of how to deal with online propaganda.Mr. Mares said the Czech authorities, which last year introduced stricter penalties for terrorism crimes as well as new types of terror-related crimes, should also focus on media education and promote awareness of how to deal with online propaganda.