5 people charged with fighting for ISIL

5 people charged with fighting for ISIL

The indictment was raised as they were suspected of organizing and financing the mobilization of citizens from Serbia and other countries for terrorist training camps in Syria and battlefield, reads a statement by Special Prosecutor Miljko Radisavljević.

After the investigation, the Prosecutor's Office pressed charges against Abid Podbicanin, 35, Sead Plojović, 31, Tefika Mujović, 34, Izudin Crnovrsanin, 25, from Novi Pazar and Ferat Kasumović, 25, from Belgrade, the statement reads.

They and a number of unidentified other persons are suspected of financing terrorism, and training and recruitment of perspective terrorists in Serbia and other countries early in 2013.

Podbicanin and Mujović are believed to have established a connection with ISIL and al-Nusra Front in order to seize power in the Syrian Arab Republic by force.

Their goal was to use this territory as a base for terrorist attacks against Iraq, the Middle East, North Africa and South and Central Europe, including Serbia, so as to create the future global Islamic state - Caliphate.

It is also believed that Podbicanin, Mujović, Plojović and Crnovrsanin raised money in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Austria, Germany and Luxembourg and financed the mobilization of citizens from Serbia and other countries for terrorist training camps in Syria and battlefield.

According to the indictment, they organized accommodation at the Furkan mosque in Novi Pazar for people from Serbia and abroad going to Syria to take part in the conflict there. This was done so those people could rest and gain any information they needed.

"In Istanbul, Mujović funded and organized their transport from Turkey to terrorist training camps in northern Syria, while the accused Podbicanin organized their accommodation and military training from Syria's city of Azaz," the prosecutor said.

Kasumović recruited one person to go to Syria and that individual later joined the ISIL and was killed.

According to the indictment, Podbicanin, Mujović, Crnovrsanin and Kasumović joined the military section of the ISIL in Syria and took part in armed operations, while Podbicanin commanded one such unit.

Mujović is accused of publicly inciting to terrorism, because he made a series of posts on Facebook that glorify the ISIL and call for violence, killings and suicide attacks in southwest Serbia's Raska region, Belgrade and Rome.

Plojović, Crnovrsanin and Kasumović have been in custody since early March and the court decided to extend that custody after the indictment was raised. Podbicanin and Mujović are at large and a warrant will be issued for their arrest. It has been proposed that they should be tried in absentia.