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Naturalized U.S. Citizen Sentenced to 10 Years for Fighting with ISIS

A federal judge’s ruling underscores U.S. resolve to hold citizens accountable for joining terrorist organizations.

FILE - A woman walks in the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria's Hasakeh province, where tens of thousands of mostly women and children linked to the Islamic State group have been living for years, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue,File)

Overview

  • Lirim Sylejmani, 49, traveled to Syria in November 2015 with his family, completed ISIS’s intake process, and underwent 21 days of military training.
  • He took part in the Manbij offensive against U.S.-led coalition forces in May 2016 and was wounded by shrapnel in his legs.
  • After being captured by Syrian Democratic Forces in February 2019, Sylejmani was transferred to U.S. custody in September 2020 and pleaded guilty in December to receiving military training from a designated terrorist group.
  • On June 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras sentenced Sylejmani to 10 years in prison followed by lifetime supervised release.
  • Sylejmani’s family remains detained in a Syrian refugee camp, highlighting ongoing humanitarian challenges for relatives of foreign fighters.