Islamic State’s arms dealer sentenced to life in jail in Iraq

Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) – An Iraqi court has sentenced an arms dealer of the terrorist Islamic State group to life in jail, according to a judicial spokesman.

“The defendant, along with others, had been arrested in southern Baghdad by the counter-terrorism forces with medium weapons in their possession, which were meant to be used by the IS militants,” spokesman for the High Judicial Council Abdul-Sattar Bayraqdar said in a statement Monday.

The spokesman added that the defendant faced charges of “selling and trading in weapons and explosives in favor of the Islamic State group.”

Iraqi authorities regularly announce the capture of Islamic State extremists in different parts in the country since the collapse of the group’s territorial influence in Iraq last year.

The exact number of detained IS militants in Iraq is still unknown, however, it’s estimated to be at thousands. It’s also unclear how many members are likely to face death or life sentences.

Moreover, the Iraqi government did not provide estimates about the number of the foreign detained militants or those who have Arab or Iraqi origins.

Iraq’s anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks.