Paris court finds Frenchwoman guilty of terrorism 5 years after repatriation

A Paris court specializing in terrorism cases sentenced Sarah Talib, now 31, to nine years in prison for participating in a terrorist criminal organization after she left France at 19 to join the Islamic State group in Syria. The verdict, reached Friday, wasn't made public until days later.

Testimony from her mother described a childhood marked by domestic violence and her father's death, while text messages presented in court, including one describing an explosive belt, pointed to active involvement rather than mere coercion. Talib's estranged brother, now a police officer, testified that he alerted authorities after she messaged him from Syria in 2015.

Experts told the court that childhood trauma, including sexual abuse, is common among women who joined the group, while researchers noted French courts have shifted from treating repatriated women as passive 'housewives' to recognizing their support roles as punishable participation in the organization.

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