Evelyn T. after return: only two years on probation!

Evelyn T. after return: only two years on probation!

Raqqa, Syrien - The return of Evelyn T. from Syria caused a lot of sensation in Austria. As Exxpress.at , the 21-year-old, who voluntarily traveled to the so-called Islamic state (IS) as a teenager, was convicted of the Vienna Regional Court due to terrorist association. The punishment was surprisingly mild: only for two years and three years of trial period, combined with the requirement, to participate in psychotherapy and a deradicalization program. On the day of the trial, she was illustrated.

The circumstances of your trip are just as precarious as your living conditions in IS. Evelyn T. got into Islamist circles at the age of 14 and traveled to Syria at the age of 16, where she lived in Raqqa, the former stronghold of IS. There she married a radicalized jihadist and gave birth to a child in 2017. As she reported herself, life in Raqqa was characterized by strict regulations; She had to leave the house fully veiled and had no access to the Internet. Later she fled with her husband from IS, but was taken to Kurdish captivity. In March 2025 she finally returned to Austria with her child and was arrested.

court judgment and social reactions

The court recognized various mitigating circumstances when the judgment was pronounced. This includes her young age at the time of the crime, her reputable confession and the fact that she spent eight years in a Syrian prison camp. The chairman expressed a positive future forecast regarding her rehabilitation and spoke of a chance for the accused, who thanked tears for this second chance. The negotiation itself took place under the strictest guard, the auditorium was full, but a school class was rejected.

In contrast to this mild judgment, the situation of the former finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser, who has to start a four-year prison sentence after a 15-year proceedings due to infidelity for Buwog sales.

The challenge of the returnees

Evelyn T.'s case not only illuminates the individual decisions of the judiciary but also a major social problem. According to bpb.de , over 970 people have traveled to the conflict areas in Syria and in Iraq since 2012 to struggle for IS or other terrorist groups. A third of these people have now returned to Germany. Security authorities warn that returnees pose a potential long -term danger, especially if they have been ideologically indoctrinated or militarily trained.

The military backing of IS could increase the return of jihad travelers to Europe and increase the likelihood of terrorist attacks in western countries. This problem requires an intensive exchange between European security authorities to ensure internal security and to recognize terrorist threats at an early stage.

The legal regulations and the handling of returnees are therefore central topics on which work must be continuously worked. The construction of theadicalization programs and the promotion of prevention measures are necessary to cope with the challenges that arise from returnees such as Evelyn T.