In a emotional courtroom scene, a Minnesota man who had become radicalized and fought for the Islamic State group in Syria expressed deep remorse. He wept openly as he was handed a 10-year federal prison sentence.
Prior to Thursday’s hearing, Abelhamid Al-Madioum, aged 27, collaborated with federal authorities, which played a role in the prosecution’s recommendation for a reduced sentence compared to the maximum 20-year term.
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In her four decades of serving as a U.S. District Judge, Ann Montgomery has presided over numerous cases. However, she considers Al-Madioum’s case to be unique and exceptional. She pointed out the perplexing journey of a young man who grew up in a loving Minnesota household, only to join one of the most infamous terrorist organizations in the world. Judge Montgomery also acknowledged his cooperation with the government after betraying them.
As Al-Madioum stood up to speak before receiving his sentence, he expressed gratitude towards the U.S. government for granting him a second chance. He then shifted his focus towards his parents and two young sons, who were rescued from a Syrian orphanage and brought to America with the aid of federal authorities.
Al-Madioum fought back tears as he acknowledged the pain he had caused. “I know I put you through so much, and I did with the belief that it was my religious duty,” he said. “But that’s no excuse. My first duty should have been to you.”
Several Minnesotans, including Al-Madioum, were suspected of joining the Islamic State group, alongside thousands of fighters from different countries. Around 36 individuals left Minnesota to become part of militant organizations in Somalia or Syria. In 2016, nine Minnesota men were found guilty and sentenced on federal charges for conspiring to join IS. Al-Madioum, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen, was among those suspected of leaving the U.S. to join the group.
Only a handful of Americans who fought for the extremist group have been repatriated to the U.S., and Al-Madioum is one of them. As per the defense sentencing memo, he is among the 11 adults who were officially brought back to the country from Syria and Iraq, to be tried for terrorist-related offenses and suspected associations with IS, as of 2023. Some of the others have been sentenced to imprisonment for periods ranging from four years to life plus 70 years.
The prosecutors had requested a 12-year imprisonment term for Al-Madioum, emphasizing that his crimes remain grave despite the suffering he endured. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Winter, Al-Madioum had self-radicalized online and provided assistance to IS, also known as ISIS, in achieving its objectives.
Winter stated that young men similar to him from various parts of the world played a significant role in the growth of ISIS.
According to Manvir Atwal, Al-Madioum’s attorney, a seven-year sentence would be appropriate for his client. Atwal argued that Al-Madioum was a vulnerable teenager who fell under the influence of a well-organized propaganda campaign. However, he has since renounced extremist beliefs and even assisted the government in other terrorism-related cases, a fact that the prosecutors have confirmed.
After taking into account Al-Madioum’s cooperation and letters of support, including one from an undisclosed former U.S. ambassador, Montgomery decided on a 10-year sentence. As he has already served more than five years in prison, he may receive credit for time served, according to Atwal.
According to the defense memo, Al-Madioum had a happy upbringing in a nonreligious family in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park. His desire to assist fellow Muslims, whom he believed were being massacred by the Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime during the country’s civil war, led him to join IS. He was convinced by the group’s recruiters to prove his devotion and become a true Muslim.
Back in 2014, Al-Madioum was only 18 years old when he was recruited by IS. In 2015, while visiting his family in Morocco, the college student managed to sneak away and make his way to Syria. There, he joined the ranks of IS and became a soldier. However, his time on the battlefield was cut short when he suffered injuries in an explosion in Iraq. His leg was left shattered, and his arm had to be amputated. Despite being unable to fight, Al-Madioum found a way to utilize his computer skills to serve the group.
During his time as a member of IS, he entered into marriages with two women and had children with them.
During the court hearing on Thursday, Al-Madioum revealed that he previously thought his second wife and daughter had passed away. However, he recently heard that there is a possibility that they are still alive, and this information is currently being investigated according to Atwal.
According to the defense, Al-Madioum experienced the tragic loss of his first wife in 2019 when she was shot in front of him, presumably by either rebel forces or an IS fighter. He recounted in court how he held her in his arms as she passed away and proceeded to dig a trench to bury her.
After the shooting incident, he took his sons and turned himself over to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces the following day. The defense claimed that during the 18 months he was detained, he was subjected to appalling conditions. It was only when the FBI brought him back to the United States that he was released.
In 2021, he admitted to giving material support to a designated terrorist group. His sons were later discovered in a Syrian orphanage, a culmination of a distinctive endeavor by U.S. diplomats and officials, as recounted by him and Montgomery.
During the court hearing, Al-Madioum’s parents were granted custody of his two sons who had accompanied them to America. In the courtroom, the young boys, aged 7 and 9, sat on their grandparents’ laps and beamed at their father as he looked back at them.
