Two years suspended sentence for the returnee from ISIS, Maria J.
Maria J., 28, who returned to Austria from Syria in March 2025, was sentenced to two years probation by the Salzburg Regional Court for belonging to a terrorist group and a criminal organization. The defendant made a full confession during the trial, expressing regret for her radicalization and her decision to join the Islamic State (ISIS). The verdict has become final.
The case attracted significant media attention as prosecutors outlined Maria J.'s journey to Syria in 2014. Inspired by online propaganda, she traveled from Austria through Istanbul to join ISIS. Authorities confirmed that she did not personally participate in combat or atrocities, but she supported her ISIS-linked husbands and engaged in the organization's lifestyle. After marrying two fighters and giving birth to two children, she lived in ISIS-controlled areas and received financial and material support from the organization.
In 2019, Maria J. and her children managed to escape from the last stronghold of ISIS through a humanitarian corridor. Later, she was detained in the Al-Hol camp and then in the Roj camp in northern Syria. Austria initially wanted to repatriate only the children, but a court ruling in 2024 allowed for the repatriation of Maria J. and her two children, who returned to Austria on March 1, 2025.
During the trial, her defense pointed out that Maria J. was only 17 years old when she left for Syria, and that she had suffered years of psychological pressure. Her lawyer emphasized her full cooperation with the authorities, her participation in anti-extremism programs, and her efforts to rebuild her life, including therapy and work. Maria J. described her journey to Syria as the biggest mistake of her life and acknowledged the suffering she endured during eleven years of captivity, including six years in detention camps.
The court ordered a three-year probation period, requiring her to continue with anti-extremism and psychological treatment programs. As the judge noted, a strict prison sentence would have been ineffective in her case. Maria J., who has no prior criminal record, expressed her gratitude for the second chance, hoping to successfully integrate into Austrian society with her children.