Evelyn T.: IS supporter confesses, is released after two years!

Evelyn T.: IS supporter confesses, is released after two years!

Today a verdict was handed down against 26-year-old Evelyn T., who has been in custody since March 1, 2025. A jury imposed a two-year prison sentence, although the sentence was subject to a three-year probationary period. The woman is released after the trial after making a full confession. During the trial, the hall was monitored by masked and heavily armed judicial guards as well as several police officers and constitutional protection officers, which underlines the explosive nature of the proceedings.

Evelyn T. has an eventful history. She first developed her sympathies for IS in 2015 when she met the highly radicalized Afghan Qais Z. in Vienna. According to Islamic law, she married him, but shortly after the wedding he traveled to Syria to join ISIS. Evelyn T. followed him in June 2015, where she had to live under extreme conditions and was interned with her son in the Al-Roj prison camp until the end of February 2025. During her time in Syria, she reported a lack of contact with the outside world and the feeling of living in a prison.

Radicalization in Europe

Evelyn T.'s story is not isolated, but reflects a deeper problem. The IS camps in Syria are well-known breeding grounds for radicalization and logistical hubs for radical structures in Europe. Jihan Hamza, a member of the Syrian Women's Council, explains that many inmates, including children, live in an extreme and radicalized environment, which is leading to the emergence of a new generation of IS. Around 50,000 people are interned in the camps, including around 6,000 from Europe.

The situation in Europe remains tense. Despite ISIS's military defeat in 2019, the ideology remains alive in prisons and camps. In recent years there have been several attacks in European cities such as Villach, Mannheim, Solingen and Munich. The number of terrorist arrests also increased significantly, with 380 people being arrested for terrorist offenses in the EU in 2022.

The influence of the Internet

Another aspect of radicalization in Europe is the influence of the Internet. Social media and closed networks often act as echo chambers that reinforce extreme attitudes. Extremist organizations use the Internet to recruit new members and spread their propaganda. Recruitment attempts take place particularly in schools, universities and even prisons, as isolated environments make people more vulnerable to radicalization.

Whether and how radicalization can be curbed through international aid and political agreements, particularly between the Kurdish self-government and the Syrian transitional government, remains unclear. Past months show that the challenges and risks continue. Evelyn T. has already experienced her part of this complex story, and her return to Austria raises questions about how to deal with former IS supporters.

The developments surrounding Evelyn T. and the ongoing risk of radicalization in Europe make it clear that the issue has far-reaching social and political consequences.

You can find out more about this topic at 5min, Wiener Zeitung and the European Parliament.