Paris Court Opens Trial for Three Women Accused of Joining Islamic State
PARIS – A special court in Paris began the trial Monday of three French women accused of joining the so-called Islamic State (IS) terror group, a case expected to last until September 26th. The trial is being held before a court with no jury, standard procedure for terrorism cases in france.
the women are linked to a larger family group, dubbed the “Clain Clan” by investigators, comprised of over 20 individuals who traveled from France to Iraq and Syria between 2014 and 2015 with their partners and children. Prosecutors allege their departure stemmed from a decade-long commitment to Salafi-jihadist ideology.
The defendants are Jennyfer Clain, 34, niece of Jean-Michel and Fabien clain – individuals implicated in disseminating IS propaganda and claiming obligation for the November 13, 2015 Paris attacks that killed 130 people; Christine Allain, 67, a former special education teacher who converted to Islam; and Mayalen Duhart, Christine Allain’s sister-in-law by marriage.
All three women were repatriated to France in 2019, along with nine children ranging in age from three to thirteen, after being arrested near the Syrian border in Turkey. They were formally charged upon their return.
Beyond accusations of joining a terrorist organization, the women face charges of endangering the well-being of their nine children by exposing them to the dangers of war zones controlled by terrorist groups. Magistrates at the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office have stated the women’s journey to Syria was the culmination of a decade-long embrace of Salafi-jihadist ideology.
The court will determine the extent of each woman’s involvement with IS, their level of commitment, and their responsibility for any terrorist activities. A key challenge for the prosecution will be establishing whether the women were victims of indoctrination or active participants in the group.
The children of the accused are participating in the trial as civil parties, represented by the SOS Victimes 93 association, which provides support to minors repatriated from Syria. Jennyfer Clain and Mayalen duhart also face charges of parental neglect, a crime defined in French law since 2017 that applies to parents who take children to conflict zones.