Moideen maintained before the NIA court that he never supported violence and did not wage war against any country.
Clarion India
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — Subahani Haja Moideen, a native of Thodupuzha in Idukki district, Kerala was on Monday sentenced to life term by NIA special court for the offences including joining ISIS and waging war against India and Iraq government.
A fine of Rs 2.10 lakh was also imposed on the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by NIA special judge P Krishnakumar.
While life term was awarded under section 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for being member of terrorist organisation, Moideen was also awarded sentence ranging from five to seven years under UAPA section 38 for membership of a terrorist organisation, section 39 for support given to a terrorist organisation, IPC 125 for waging war against any Asiatic Power in alliance with the government of India and 120 (B) for criminal conspiracy. But he needs to undergo all the sentence concurrently only.
Moideen, however, maintained before the NIA court that he never supported violence and did not wage war against any country, according to media reports.
According to NIA sources, this is thought to be the first time that a person is being convicted under IPC section 125. It was also for the first time that a person who joined a terrorist organisation and carried out terrorist activities in another nation being convicted after returning to India.
Moideen, 34, allegedly joined the ISIS in 2015 April and went to Iraq. He was trained in using weapons at Mosul in Iraq and waged war against Iraq.
According to the prosecution case, later he left ISIS and he was allowed to return to India by 2015 September. But he continued to be an ISIS follower and was even suspected to be trying to procure explosives from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu while he was held from Tirunelveli in October 2016. He conspired with ISIS operatives through online platforms.
Subahani Haja Moideen was earlier quizzed by the French anti-terrorism agency in connection with the probe into the 2015 Paris terrorist attack that claimed around 130 lives.
Moideen was arrested by the NIA in 2016 for allegedly supporting activities of the ISIS. According to the probe agency, Moideen had joined the Islamic State in 2015 and had received training in Iraq and Syria.
(With media inputs)
