Copenhagen: A Danish man who travelled to Syria in 2013 to join the Islamic State group was on Tuesday charged with breaching Denmark's anti-terrorism laws, in the country's first case of its kind.
"It is the prosecution's view that everyone who joins IS in Syria has agreed in principle to take part in the terrorist acts that IS commits in the country," prosecutor Lise-Lotte Nilas said in a statement.
The 23-year-old man faced charges over "agreeing to be recruited to commit terrorist acts" and for "violating the ban against supporting terrorism," she said.
The latter charge was for carrying 20,000 kroner ($2,935, 2,680 euros) with him when he was arrested by Danish police in March this year as he attempted to return to Syria.
If found guilty he would face over four years in prison.
The prosecution said it would also seek to strip the man of his Danish citizenship if Turkish authorities confirm he holds dual Danish-Turkish citizenship.
At least 125 people have left Denmark to join the conflict in Syria and Iraq since the summer of 2012, according to the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, but until now authorities have been unable to prove that any of them joined the IS group.
The trial is expected to open in the spring, the Danish Prosecution Service said.
In neighbouring Sweden, a court on Monday sentenced two men to life in prison on terrorism charges over their role in two "cruel and brutal" murders in Syria in 2013.
Swedish nationals Hassan al-Mandlawi and Al-Amin Sultan were convicted after graphic videos showed them with other jihadists taking part in the killing of two men in the northern city of Aleppo.
AFP
