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| Germany jails Islamic State jihadist Kreshnik Berisha | Germany jails Islamic State jihadist Kreshnik Berisha |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A German man has been jailed for three years and nine months for joining Islamic State (IS) militants, in the first trial of its kind in Germany. | A German man has been jailed for three years and nine months for joining Islamic State (IS) militants, in the first trial of its kind in Germany. |
| A court in Frankfurt convicted Kreshnik Berisha of membership of a foreign terrorist organisation. | A court in Frankfurt convicted Kreshnik Berisha of membership of a foreign terrorist organisation. |
| Berisha avoided the heaviest sentence of 10 years after admitting he spent six months with IS in Syria last year. | Berisha avoided the heaviest sentence of 10 years after admitting he spent six months with IS in Syria last year. |
| German authorities believe more than 500 German citizens have travelled to fight for IS in Iraq and Syria. | German authorities believe more than 500 German citizens have travelled to fight for IS in Iraq and Syria. |
| The domestic intelligence agency estimates that 60 have died there in combat or suicide attacks, and 180 have returned to Germany, according to the AFP news agency. | The domestic intelligence agency estimates that 60 have died there in combat or suicide attacks, and 180 have returned to Germany, according to the AFP news agency. |
| Berisha, 20, was arrested at Frankfurt airport last December after returning from Syria. | Berisha, 20, was arrested at Frankfurt airport last December after returning from Syria. |
| He was accused of having been with IS fighters in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, where rebels are fighting against forces loyal to the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad. | He was accused of having been with IS fighters in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, where rebels are fighting against forces loyal to the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad. |
| He was put on trial in September and was offered a deal by prosecutors, where he would receive a lighter sentence in exchange for confessing. | He was put on trial in September and was offered a deal by prosecutors, where he would receive a lighter sentence in exchange for confessing. |
| Prosecutors also suggested the deal would include receiving information from Berisha about the inner workings of the group. | Prosecutors also suggested the deal would include receiving information from Berisha about the inner workings of the group. |
| Berisha was born in Frankfurt to a family from Kosovo. | Berisha was born in Frankfurt to a family from Kosovo. |
| IS is thought to have attracted hundreds of recruits from European countries in its battle to establish what it describes as a "caliphate", spanning a borderless stretch of Syria and Iraq. | IS is thought to have attracted hundreds of recruits from European countries in its battle to establish what it describes as a "caliphate", spanning a borderless stretch of Syria and Iraq. |
| The US launched air strikes against the militants following their seizure of several towns and cities in northern Iraq this summer. | The US launched air strikes against the militants following their seizure of several towns and cities in northern Iraq this summer. |
| Separately, Britain has jailed its first citizen to be convicted of involvement in terrorism in Syria. | |
| Mashudur Choudhury, who was convicted in May, was sentenced to four years imprisonment. | |
| He was one of a group of six men from Portsmouth who are known to have gone to fight in Syria. Four of them have been killed. |