Process against ex-is supporters: Dangerous return to Vienna!

Process against ex-is supporters: Dangerous return to Vienna!

Vienna, Österreich - At the Vienna Regional Court, 26-year-old Evelyn T. is on the court on April 9, 2025. The ex-IS supporter is charged with membership in a terrorist association and the support of a criminal organization. The process is scheduled for three hours. Her defense lawyer, Anna Mair, has already announced that Evelyn T. will guilty what could bring in a prison sentence of up to five years.

Evelyn T. was brought back on March 1, 2025 with her seven -year -old son from a prison camp in Syria. The stay in the Al Roj camp was a long and traumatic experience for her. She has been interned there since she was captured in November 2017 after she and her husband, Qais Z., had surrendered to the Kurdish forces of the Free Syrian Army. Qais Z. was known under the combat name Abu Luqman al-Afghani and had previously completed military training in Mosul, Iraq. During her time in IS, Evelyn T. supported her husband and took care of the household; Her son was born in May 2017.

parenting and challenges

After returning to Austria, Evelyn T. has no contact with her husband, who was sentenced to death after his arrest in Iraq. Her son has lived in a facility of the Vienna child and youth welfare (MA 11) since March 1, 2025. The separation from your child is a significant challenge for Evelyn T., which must now also deal with the social stigmatization and the legal situation.

The return of women who have joined IS has become an important topic in tertiary prevention against Islamist extremism. Studies show that these are often women who often have to return without their husbands. Working with these returnees, especially if they have children, requires a sensitive and individual approach. Experts recommend a gender -specific approach in prevention work to meet the special circumstances of these women.

prevention and reintegration

The working group for extremism prevention has found that 15-20% of Western Europeans who joined IS were women. In addition, between 1,400 and 1,650 minors were taken with them or born in the occupied areas. The challenges in the reintegration of these returnees, especially with regard to psychological support for them and their children, are considerable. Therefore, comprehensive cooperation between various actors, such as youth welfare offices and law enforcement authorities, is considered crucial.

for Evelyn T., a way to re -socialization may be emerging. Her defense lawyer emphasizes that advice on the position for extremism prevention (Boja) has already started and that a probation assistance association, restart, has been available for her possible return to social life. It remains to be seen how the process will go out and what steps will follow in the subsequent reintegration.