The prosecution had demanded 18 years in prison for Kevin Guiavarch, one of the first Frenchmen to join Islamic State and leave for Syria. The Paris special court finally sentenced him to 14 years in prison with a two-thirds preventive detention, as Le Point reports. Also in the dock were his lawful wife and three “concubines” who were also on trial for terrorist gangs. The first was sentenced to six months in prison. The other three were sentenced to five years in prison with two to four years suspended. The four women were to serve their sentences with an electronic ankle bracelet. A fifth woman, who was on trial for aiding a minor to leave the country and preparing to marry Kevin Guiavarch, was acquitted.
The Frenchman and his lawful wife had been in the Iraqi-Syrian zone from January 2013 to June 2016. For the Advocate General, an aggravating factor for the rank of “pioneer” jihadi. “Those who left before 2014-2015 are the most radicalised,” he had noted in his closing argument. He also did not believe that the jihadist’s return could be classified as remorseful. “He returned because he did not want to die. He is not a penitent, he is a cynical liar,” Le Monde quoted him as saying.
Salma, the wife, helped to ensure that Kevin Guiavarch’s other female companions joined in. Far from being a mere follower, she was described by the prosecution as a sort of ” top executive ” of the couple. The latter did not hesitate to share Daech’s propaganda on social networks, and in particular declared that the journalists of Charlie Hebdo “deserved” their fate. The five convicts will be listed in the database of terrorist offenders (Fijait).