A 48-year-old Iraqi man went on trial in Munich on 8 September 2026, accused of membership in Islamic State. Prosecutors allege that he worked for the organisation and later served as a fighter. The indictment was read at the opening hearing before the Munich Higher Regional Court, which has scheduled further hearings through the end of October.
The prosecution alleges that the defendant joined IS no later than 2016 and initially worked in a workshop for the organisation, receiving several thousand dollars. He is subsequently alleged to have served as an IS fighter and received further financial payments. These allegations form the basis of the charge of membership in a terrorist organisation abroad. The proceedings will determine whether the accusations against him are proven.
IS perpetrated the Ezidi Genocide, carrying out mass killings, enslavement, abductions and forced religious conversion. Its attack on Shengal on 3 August 2014 drove thousands of Ezidi families from their homes. The charge described in this Munich case concerns alleged membership in the organisation; the information available about the opening hearing does not identify a specific accusation involving an Ezidi victim.
