2025-08-21T08:53:05+00:00
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Shafaq News – Berlin
The decision to deport Abu Walaa, the former leader of the Islamic State
(ISIS) network in Germany, is final after no application for appeal was filed,
a spokesperson for the Düsseldorf Administrative Court said.
Abu Walaa, whose real name is Ahmad Abdulaziz Abdullah A., was sentenced
in 2021 to ten and a half years in prison for recruiting fighters and funds for
ISIS. Born in Iraq and living in Germany since 2001, he was known as the
“faceless preacher” for hiding his identity in online sermons. German
prosecutors described him as the group’s top representative in the country.
The court rejected his argument that deportation should be blocked
because his seven children live in Germany. Judges ruled that national security
took precedence, noting no credible signs of renunciation of extremism, and warning
of a risk of reoffending after his scheduled release in 2027.
Although the deportation order has been confirmed, a separate process
will decide whether he can be sent to Iraq, where he could face the death
penalty. “The court is still awaiting the outcome of the asylum proceedings,
particularly in view of the possible death penalty in Iraq,” a spokesperson
said.
Abu Walaa was arrested in November 2016 with several associates and
later convicted of supporting a foreign terrorist organization. His network was
linked to the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack carried out by Anis Amri, who
was mentored by two of Walaa’s deputies.
His prison term runs until 2027, after which deportation proceedings are
expected to move forward.