Vienna man on trial for jihadist activities

If the man, a native Chechen, is found guilty he faces between one and ten years in prison. A 17-year-old girl is also standing trial. She is married to the man under Islamic law and was planning to travel with him to Syria in Spring last year. She faces up to five years in jail, for membership of a terrorist organization.

The 25-year-old, who came to Austria with his family when he was two-and-a-half years old, is believed to have fought with Islamic militants in the Pakistani-Afghan border region between October 2011 and August 2013.

According to prosecutors his father gave him money to support terrorist activities. . . on April 30th last year he was arrested at Vienna airport. He and his then 16-year-old wife planned to fly to Syria to join the al-Nusra Front, which is allied to al-Qaeda.