US woman convicted of training with Islamic State in Syria
Halima Salman, a 27-year-old American, was convicted in federal court of joining and training with the Islamic State group after marrying one of its fighters in Syria as a teenager. The case matters because prosecutors said she pledged loyalty to the group and received military training, while Salman argued that her father forced her into the marriage and involvement.
Jurors saw footage of Salman holding an assault rifle, a photograph of her with an ISIS flag and affectionate messages to her husband. She was detained in Syria in 2019 and arrested after returning to New York in 2024; her lawyers have asked the judge to overturn the verdict. She faces up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for 2 February.
In short
- Halima Salman was convicted of joining and training with ISIS.
- She said her father forced her into the marriage and group.
- She faces up to 10 years in prison.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The prosecution’s case is that Salman knowingly joined a terrorist organisation and received military training: jurors heard evidence including footage of her holding a rifle, a photograph with the group’s flag and messages to her husband. On this view, the conviction reflects the seriousness of voluntarily supporting an organisation responsible for violence, and the need to apply the law even when the conduct occurred abroad.
The case against
The defence argues that Salman was a teenager when her father forced her into marriage and involvement with the group, raising questions about her freedom, agency and culpability. On this view, the evidence presented to jurors may not fully capture the coercion she says she experienced, and her lawyers’ request to overturn the verdict warrants careful consideration before punishment is set.
Explained simply
The Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, is an armed extremist organisation that seized territory in Syria and Iraq and sought to establish its own state. It recruited people from abroad, including women, and used violence to control areas under its rule.
US law makes it a crime to join or support designated terrorist groups. In cases involving recruits who were minors, questions about age, pressure and personal responsibility can be relevant to how a person’s actions are understood.
The case centres on the competing accounts of Salman’s involvement: prosecutors said she chose to join and train with the group, while her defence said her father forced her into the marriage and involvement. It also raises broader questions about how courts assess alleged participation in a terrorist group when coercion is claimed.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Female terrorist sobs and tries to blame her father as she is convicted of training with ISIS”.