US Citizen Convicted of Receiving ISIS Military Training in Syria

A federal jury in Brooklyn convicted U.S. citizen Halima Salman on Tuesday of knowingly receiving military-style training from ISIS while living in Syria. The conviction marks what is believed to be the first time a woman accused of joining the terrorist group has stood trial in U.S. federal court.

Salman, a 27-year-old former Brooklyn resident, faces up to 10 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2. Prosecutors stated that Salman was 18 when she married an ISIS fighter and voluntarily sought military training from the organization, pledging loyalty and participating in its activities.

Evidence presented during the trial included a document certifying Salman's completion of training, which was found on her husband's cellphone, along with video footage of her holding an assault rifle and a photograph of her with an ISIS flag. Prosecutors also shared supportive text messages she sent to her husband.

"With today’s verdict, Salman is held accountable for joining forces with a terrorist organization," U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York said in a statement. "ISIS ravaged Syria and caused havoc across the globe; our Office will continue to prosecute those who supported its murderous reign."

Salman's parents reportedly traveled with her and her eight siblings from the United States to Syria in 2016, taking them to territory controlled by ISIS.

During deliberations, the jury indicated it was struggling to reach a unanimous verdict, being sent back twice to continue discussions. Salman's defense team argued that she was a teenager drawn into the conflict by her father and later her husband. Salman testified that she believed her family was going to visit relatives in Turkey when her father took them into Syria.

She claimed she did not want to be married off at 18 and attempted to get a divorce, stating that attempting to leave ISIS territory meant death. Salman eventually fled with other refugees and separated from her husband. She was detained in Baghouz, Syria, in 2019 by forces fighting ISIS and was arrested by U.S. authorities upon her return to New York in 2024.

Salman's attorneys have asked the judge to set aside the verdict, arguing that the evidence presented was insufficient to sustain the conviction.