Number 1 – She is was a professional soldier
Former ISIS member and ex Irish soldier, Lisa Smith, was sentenced to just 15 months in jail by the Special Criminal Court earlier today. Unlike Shamima Begum in the UK who was just 15 when she joined the terrorist organisation, Smith was a grown woman and in no way ignorant of the nature of war and conflict.
The maximum possible sentence for joining an illegal organisation in Ireland is 8 years.
Although I was not present at the court hearings, and therefore may be unaware of some mitigating circumstances, 15 months (backdated by the court for time already served in custody to last June) seems like a mere slap on the wrist for someone, nay an ex soldier, who literally joined ISIS.
Number 2 – ISIS’ Attempted Genocide of the Yazidi People
This is the very Islamic State terrorist group who are responsible for countless acts of wanton barbarism including the targeting for annihilation of the Yazidi people.
https://twitter.com/Ezidi2/status/1549387052722044933
Number 3 – Yazidi Women and Girls were Sexually enslaved by ISIS
According to court dialogue, Lisa Smith joined Isis in full knowledge of what they represent, including taking unknown numbers of innocent Yazidi girls and woman as sex slaves, in somecases dismembering their bodies through repeated rapes and torture.
8 years have passed since the Yezidi genocide, the saddest, most painful and ugliest in history, was committed by the terrorist "ISIS". Girls and women have been captured and their bodies were dismembered through rape and enslavement.#YazidiGenocide pic.twitter.com/i6m436Dk9G
— Zidan Ismail (@zidan_yezidi) July 22, 2022
BBC reported “Smith, who had converted to Islam, travelled to Syria after terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims to travel to the Islamic State.”
https://twitter.com/Chris3naCosta/status/1550411075224588289
She answered the call from known terrorist leader to travel to Syria to help in the establishment of an islamic caliphate, something that has been attempted through violent invasion and insurrection down through history.
Number 4 – She Knew Exactly What She Was Getting Involved With
During her trial Judge Hunt said, “that there was no room for pleas of naivety or ignorance by the time she travelled to Syria. Adding “Her eyes were wide open,”.
According to the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, (START) ISIS is directly responsible for the deaths of 33,000 people worldwide.
The New York Times compiled a detailed list of major Isis attacks, and attacks inspired by the terrorist group.
Number 5 – Strongly Held Convictions Can Lead to Indefinite Detention in Ireland.
Now might be as good a time as any to remember that people who hold beliefs contrary to court orders in civil cases can be detained indefinitely in Ireland.
Not wanting to comply with an order, say to not protest outside a certain solicitor’s office, when one has a firm conviction that there is wrongdoing afoot, can land you in jail for as long as it takes for you to promise not to do it anymore: there are no time limits on this, so it can in theory mean life behind bars.