Bosnian Admits Going to Fight for ISIS in Syria

Ibro Cufurovic testified at the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo on December 18 that he went to fight in Syria of his own free will, and told the presiding judge that he was not coaxed or threatened by anyone to do so.

His statement in court confirmed his written confession on December 3.

According to the charges, Cufurovic participated, under the name of Abu Kasim Albosni, in terrorist activities, offered assistance for such activities, and fought for Islamic State in Syria as a member of the Bejt Komandos unit, which prosecutors said was later renamed El Aksa.

Following the defendant’s admission of guilt, prosecutor Cazim Hasanspahic said the three remaining witnesses would not be called to the stand.

Responding to a question by presiding judge Hasija Masovic, prosecutor Hasanspahic said he would reflect on the most important evidence in his closing statement, but that he would like the court to take particular note of the State Investigation and Protection Agency’s record of its inspection of evidence that was found.

“The record of the inspection, as well as a CD, represents a relevant piece of evidence which should be taken into consideration. I propose that it be looked at,” Hasanspahic said.

Defence lawyer Senad Dupovac said he would use some pieces of the prosecution’s evidence.

He said that evidence from the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, accompanied by a letter from the International Committee of the Red Cross indicating that Cufurovic was in prison, would represent a mitigating circumstance.

He added that his client’s birth certificate confirms that he was 19 years old when he left for Syria.

He said this meant that the defendant was in “a period of adolescence, so it is uncontested that he was an immature person incapable of thinking rationally”.

Dupovac said the CD mentioned by the prosecutor contains a video posted on Twitter by a man called Bruno Krmpotic. The video appears to show Cufurovic standing next to dead bodies.

But Dupovac noted that witnesses from the State Investigation and Protection Agency said that many falsified videos are posted on social networks, and that Cufurovic was in jail at the time that the video was posted on Twitter.

He also said it was not possible to conclude whether the video was filmed in Iran or in Syria.

The presentation of the evidence was concluded with Cufurovic’s admission of guilt.

The trial is due to continue on December 24.