Sisters on trial in Bærum for alleged ties to Islamic State

The trial of two sisters from Bærum, accused of having participated in the Islamic State (IS), continued on Friday. After the sisters completed their statements, the public prosecutor began questioning the older sister. Various electronic evidence from before the sisters traveled to Syria was presented.

Evidence included downloaded images of machine guns and illustrations of fighters with jihadist flags on her tablet. Prosecutor Marit Formo stated that these findings indicate that the purpose of their trip was not traditional humanitarian work, as the sisters previously claimed in court. “We believe this documentation shows that well before their journey to Syria, they had the intention to support the jihadists’ armed struggle,” said Formo.

The sisters traveled to Syria in October 2013, and the older sister explained that they planned the trip for one year. Initially, it took them just a week to reach Syria after they decided to go. In January of that year, the older sister reportedly conducted several online searches related to jihad, including on YouTube. The prosecutor showed a bookmark stored in her browser for a user manual intended for foreign fighters, described as “a must read” for Muslims in the West.

Further, evidence presented indicated that the sisters had downloaded the black and white flag used by jihadist groups six months before leaving Bærum. When asked about this flag, the older sister claimed it originated from Prophet Muhammad, despite its current association with IS.

The prosecution also highlighted her search history, which they argued was heavily linked to jihad and jihadist symbolism, questioning why there was no evidence of searches related to humanitarian work. The sisters maintain their innocence, asserting that they aimed to engage in aid efforts in Syria. The questioning of both sisters will continue next week.