Trial begins for 7 Islamic State suspects in Dusseldorf, Germany

DUSSELDORF, Germany

A trial begins for seven suspected members of the "Islamic State" (IS) group in Germany's western city of Dusseldorf on Tuesday.

The five Tajiks, one Kyrgiz and one Turkmen are accused of setting up an IS cell in Germany and planning attacks in the country and beyond in Western Europe, although no evidence of concrete plans was found.

The seven men are believed to have traveled to Germany in the spring of 2022 via Ukraine, where they exploited the instability prompted by the Russian invasion.

In Germany, they set up a cell of the Islamic State group, in coordination with another defendant who is being separately tried in the Netherlands.

Six of them are also accused of supporting the group by collecting thousands of euros in funds and transferring them.

The suspects, aged between 21 and 47, were arrested in July 2023 at various locations in the western state of North Rhine Westphalia. They have been in pretrial detention since.

The trial at the Higher Regional Court in Dusseldorf is due to stretch through to mid-January next year, with 45 trial days scheduled.