(AFP) A French court on Friday sentenced a French jihadist to life in prison for holding four journalists captive more than a decade ago in war-torn Syria.
Mehdi Nemmouche, 39, was convicted of having held the French reporters hostage for the Islamic State jihadist group from June 2013 to April 2014.
The sentence carries a minimum term of 22 years before he is eligible for parole.
All four journalists during the trial said they clearly recognised Nemmouche’s voice and manner of speech as belonging to a so-called Abu Omar, who terrorised them and made sadistic jokes while they were in captivity.
Nemmouche denied ever being their jailer, only admitting in court that he was an IS fighter in Syria.
