BERLIN: A 20-year-old German alleged jihadist goes on trial on Monday on charges of fighting for Islamic State in Syria, in Germany’s first court proceedings involving the militant group.

The defendant, identified by the court only as Kreshnik B., was arrested last December at Frankfurt airport in western Germany on his way home from Syria.

Prosecutors say he joined the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Al Sham (ISIS), fighting to create a “caliphate” straddling Syria and Iraq.

While in Syria, he allegedly underwent weapons training with the jihadists and fought in at least three battles against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops.

Justice officials say this is the first time a German court will hear a criminal case against an IS suspect, and the trial will open under tight security three days after the government announced a major crackdown on the group’s activities.

The case underlines European fears of the threat posed by hundreds of young Islamic militants returning from Syria and Iraq, where they have gained weapons training and combat experience.

Kreshnik B., who was born in Frankfurt to a family from Kosovo, faces 10 years in prison if convicted by the city’s superior regional court of membership of a foreign terrorist organisation.

A verdict is not expected before mid-November but authorities hope the trial will provide insights into IS activities.

Federal prosecutors say that he was driven by his “radical religious convictions” but are unclear about the reasons for his return to Germany.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2014