Salafist preacher Sven Lau to be released from German jail German Islamist Sven Lau will leave prison early after serving two-thirds of his sentence for supporting a terrorist organization. Lau had recruited fighters for the Jamwa militia in Syria.

May 16, 2019   

(Deutsche Welle) A German court on Thursday ordered the early release from jail of one of Germany’s most renowned Salafists. Sven Lau had been serving a sentence of 5 1/2 years for aiding terrorism.

Lau was convicted in July 2017 of supporting Jamwa, an Islamist militia taking part in the Syrian war. He was found guilty of sending money and equipment to the group and also persuading two Salafists living in Germany to join the group.

German authorities first detained Lau in 2015. The time he had spent in custody counted towards the sentence served.

Lau was born to a Catholic family in the northwestern city of Mönchengladbach.

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