A federal jury on Tuesday convicted Halima Salman of knowingly receiving military-style training from while living in Syria, bringing an emotional end to a closely watched terrorism trial.
The case was believed to mark the first time a woman accused of joining ISIS stood trial in a U.S. federal court.
Salman, also known as “Umm Khattab al-Muhajir,” is a 27-year-old U.S. citizen and former Brooklyn resident who faces up to 10 years in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 2.
According to federal prosecutors, Salman’s parents traveled with her and her eight siblings out of the United States in 2016, ultimately taking the family to ISIS-controlled territory in Syria.
The Justice Department said she was 18 years old when she married an ISIS fighter and voluntarily sought military-style training from the terrorist organization.
Prosecutors said Salman pledged loyalty to ISIS and willingly participated in its activities.
She received authorization from ISIS to carry an assault rifle and was given a document certifying that she had completed the training. That document was later recovered from her husband’s cellphone, officials said.
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During the trial, jurors were shown video of Salman holding an assault rifle, a photo of her with an ISIS flag and supportive text messages she sent to her husband.
“With todays verdict, Salman is held accountable for joining forces with a terrorist organization,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York said in a statement.
“ISIS ravaged Syria and caused havoc across the globe; our Office will continue to prosecute those who supported its murderous reign,” Nocella continued.
Following the reading of the verdict at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Salman broke down crying and was consoled by members of her defense team.
Her mother, who arrived after word came that the jury had reached a verdict, also broke down and was seen crying on her knees in the gallery. Multiple members of Salman’s defense team were also visibly emotional, including her lead attorney, Mia Eisner-Grynberg.
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Tuesday’s verdict came after jurors previously indicated that they were struggling to reach a unanimous verdict and were sent back twice to continue deliberations.
Salman’s defense team portrayed her as a teenager who was drawn into Syria’s civil war through her father and later her husband.
Salman, who was born in Brooklyn, testified that she believed the family was traveling to visit relatives in Turkey when her father instead took them across the border into Syria.
“I do blame my father for a lot of things that happened,” she testified.
She also said she didn’t want to be “married off” at age 18 and had tried to get a divorce.
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