A Dutch woman was sentenced to three years in prison Monday for donating several hundred dollars to a group that supported the militant group al-Shabab in Somalia.
The sentenced imposed on Farhia Hassan, 38, was far less than the 8-year sentence sought by prosecutors.
She was convicted earlier this year by a jury at U.S. District Court in Alexandria of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.
Prosecutors said she was one of about 15 women who gathered in an online chatroom and regularly committed small amounts of money to support al-Shabab militants in Somalia and Kenya. In all, prosecutors say she donated about $300 over a three-year period, though they admitted difficulty tracking payments.
Two leaders of the group have already been convicted and sentenced to terms of 12 and 11 years, respectively.
Prosecutors, though, said $300 can go a long way. In court papers, they said the money could be used in Somalia to pay an al-Shabab fighter’s monthly wages or buy an AK-47 military rifle or a camel.
At Monday’s hearing, Hassan said through a Somali interpreter that she is not an al-Shabab supporter but was donating money to help the Somali people.
“Every indication before the Court is that she believes just as firmly in al-Shabaab’s mission as she did in 2011 when the conspiracy began,” prosecutor Danya Atiyeh wrote.
Judge Anthony Trenga, who imposed the sentence, said he largely agreed about Hassan’s radicalization. But he said Hassan’s actions did not merit imposition of a so-called “terrorism enhancement” that usually results in extreme increases to the recommended term under federal sentencing guidelines.
Dutch mom gets 3 years in US for supporting Somali militants
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A Dutch woman was sentenced to three years in prison Monday for donating several hundred dollars to a group that supported the militant group al-Shabab in Somalia.
