Flowers at Sergels Torg plaza in Stockholm where a lorry driver drove into a department store on April 7, 2017, killing four people. Germany has jailed on terrorist charges five men who were in the same social circle as the perpetrator. AFP
Flowers at Sergels Torg plaza in Stockholm where a lorry driver drove into a department store on April 7, 2017, killing four people. Germany has jailed on terrorist charges five men who were in the same social circle as the perpetrator. AFP
Flowers at Sergels Torg plaza in Stockholm where a lorry driver drove into a department store on April 7, 2017, killing four people. Germany has jailed on terrorist charges five men who were in the same social circle as the perpetrator. AFP
Flowers at Sergels Torg plaza in Stockholm where a lorry driver drove into a department store on April 7, 2017, killing four people. Germany has jailed on terrorist charges five men who were in the sa

Germany jails Tajik refugees over ISIS terrorist plots


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
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Five Tajik men were jailed in Germany on Tuesday for being members of an ISIS cell that was planning terror attacks in Germany and abroad.

A court in Dusseldorf sentenced the men to jail terms from three years and eight months to nine and a half years.

It is believed the five men were in the same social circle as the Tajik-born perpetrator behind the Stockholm lorry attack of April 2017, and the Macedonian-Austrian national who shot down four people in Vienna in November 2020.

Sunatullokh K, 26, was handed the longest sentence for planning to shoot dead a YouTuber based in Neuss, western Germany, who was critical of Islam.

The assault was foiled by investigators, the court heard.

Farhodshoh K, 33, received eight and a half years for plotting a contract murder in Albania.

The court said the killing was not carried out only because the perpetrators had "doubts about the identity of the target" during surveillance.

The other three men — Muhammadali G, 34; Azizjon B, 29; and Komron B, 25 — were convicted for taking part in a terrorist organisation.

"Driven by their radical Islam conviction," they had sought to carry out attacks for ISIS, said the court.

All five had arrived in Germany as refugees.

From 2019, the men were in contact with a leading ISIS member in Afghanistan who provided them with radical ideology.

ISIS-linked militants have committed several violent attacks in Germany in recent years, with the worst being a ramming attack at a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016, which killed 12.

Meanwhile Norway’s domestic security agency said Wednesday that a man has been arrested in Oslo on suspicion of taking part in a terror organisation, and that another person identified as a Norwegian student has been arrested in Bulgaria in a coordinated action.

The suspect placed in custody in the Norwegian capital will face a pre-trial custody hearing later Wednesday following his arrest a day earlier. He hasn't been identified

Trond Hugubakken, a spokesman for the agency, known by its acronym PST, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the arrest in Bulgaria took place on the strength of a European arrest warrant issued by the prosecuting authority in Norway and added that there had been an investigation in the Scandinavian country

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UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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Updated: June 01, 2022, 9:42 AM`