Paris court affirms terrorism conviction linked to Islamic State hostages

The Specially Composed Assize Court of Paris affirmed the conviction of Syrian national Kais Al-Abdallah, upholding a 20-year sentence for terrorism charges tied to the kidnapping and imprisonment of French journalists Nicolas Hénin and Pierre Torres, held captive in Syria from June 2013 to April 2014. Al-Abdallah and four others were convicted of conspiring to prepare a terrorist offense.

Torres testified at the appeal on Oct. 7, describing being forced into a car at gunpoint in Raqqa and believing he would be killed. He later wrote that he identified Al-Abdallah as an Islamic State official involved in the kidnapping and that the arrest likely dismantled an attempted sleeper cell in Europe.

Investigators say Al-Abdallah, who arrived in Germany as a refugee in 2015 and enrolled as a chemistry student, was in fact known as “Abu Hamza the Chemist,” a senior Islamic State figure who trained foreign fighters in explosives. A 4,200-page bomb-making document and social media evidence were presented against him; he has denied any connection to the group.

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