Norwegian man sentenced to 8 years in jail for terrorist acts in Syria

A Norwegian man was sentenced to eight years in prison on Monday for fighting for terrorist groups in Syria, local media reported.

The Oslo District Court ruled that Ishaq Ahmed, 24, must have participated in the two terrorist organizations of Islamic State (IS) and Jabath Al Nusra, local daily Aftenposten said.

Norway's prosecutors last month asked for eights years in prison for the suspect who was charged with traveling to Syria in 2013 and fighting for militant groups.

Ahmed had pleaded not guilty and argued that he went to Syria to carry out humanitarian work, but the court rejected his explanation, Aftenposten said.

The court believed that several of Ahmed's emails and messages on social media had shown that he wanted to be involved in establishing an Islamic state and that he believed he had a duty to contribute to the armed struggle in Syria.

Ahmed was shot in the leg in Syria before he returned to Norway in February 2014.

Ahmed's trial is the second one in Norway concerning its citizens who are accused of having participated in combat operations for the IS extremist group in Syria and Iraq.

In May, a Norwegian court sentenced three men to jail after they were convicted of joining or supporting the IS group in Syria. Endit