German IS suspect goes on trial

In a first-of-its-kind case in Germany, accused jihadist Kreshnik B. will stand trial in Frankfurt. He is believed to have joined the ranks of the terror group "Islamic State"(IS) , which seeks to establish a caliphate based on orthodox Muslim Sharia law and has occupied vast areas of northern Iraq and Syria.

The accused, who once played for a German football club, is believed to have travelled to Syria in July 2013 with the intention of fighting with jihadists there. He was arrested at the Frankfurt airport last year in December and has been in police custody since then.

German prosecutors have accused Kreshnik B. of joining the Islamic State in the second half of 2013 and of committing treason. The Federal Public Prosecutor General said in a statement: "Borne by a radical religious attitude, he intended to participate in a militant jihad against the regime of Syrian President Assad and to collaborate in the creation of a state based exclusively on Sharia law."

According to the indictment, Kreshnik B. took an oath of loyalty with the foreign fighters. He also got trained in using weapons and took over cleaning and guard duties for his organization. Germany also accuses Kreshnik B. of having taken part in three operations for IS.

The trial against the accused will take place amid heavy security. The court proceedings are expected to last until November this year and have generated widespread interest, especially after German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere banned all activities of the Islamic State in Germany last week.

mg/bw (AP, AFP, dpa)