Key facts
- Three French nationals were sentenced to life in prison in Iraq on Thursday.
- The sentences were for belonging to Islamic State.
- The three were among 47 French Islamic State suspects transferred from Syria to Iraq last year.
- On Tuesday, six other French nationals from the same group received life sentences, and one received 15 years.
Three French nationals were sentenced to life in prison in Iraq on Thursday for belonging to the Islamic State militant group, according to a court statement. Their lawyers and representatives from the French embassy were present at the hearing. These three individuals were part of a larger group of 47 French Islamic State suspects who were transferred from detention facilities in northeast Syria to Iraq last year. The sentencing follows similar convictions on Tuesday, when six other French nationals from the same group received life sentences and a seventh was sentenced to 15 years for their membership in the group. Islamic State had previously controlled significant territory in Iraq and Syria before being largely defeated by a US-led coalition and local forces in 2019, though remnants of the organization continue to operate.