New York Woman Convicted of Receiving Islamic State Weapons Training
A Brooklyn woman has been convicted of receiving weapons training from the Islamic State after being taken to Syria as a teenager. Read the full report.
POLICY WIRE — New York, USA — A Brooklyn woman was found guilty on Tuesday of undergoing weapons training provided by the Islamic State, following a trial that detailed her journey from a teenager in New York to a bride of a militant fighter in Syria.
Prosecutors presented evidence including a video of the 27-year-old defendant, Halima Salman, wielding an assault rifle, alongside photographs of her with the extremist group’s flag and affectionate text messages directed at her husband. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. stated that the verdict ensures Salman is held accountable for her involvement with the terrorist organization.
The defense argued that Salman was a victim of circumstance, claiming she was coerced into the situation by her father, who brought her to Syria in 2017 under the guise of a family trip to Turkey. Salman testified that she felt trapped, stating, “You try to leave, it is death,” and described her repeated, unsuccessful attempts to secure a divorce from her husband.
Despite the defense’s portrayal of a young woman forced into domestic labor, prosecutors highlighted her agency, noting that she once shared a religious song about Osama bin Laden with her spouse. Salman, who was detained in Baghouz, Syria, in 2019 and arrested upon her return to New York in 2024, now faces up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for February 2.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
