Prosecutors have filed terrorism charges against a suspected representative of the Islamic State (IS) group in Germany and four fellow suspects who are accused of running a recruitment network.

Federal prosecutors said on Thursday that the suspected ringleader, a 33-year-old Iraqi citizen, identified as Ahmad Abdulaziz Abdullah A, who goes by the alias Abu Walaa was indicted on charges of membership in a terrorist organisation, terror financing and public incitement to commit crimes.

He and the other four are suspected of recruiting young Muslims in Germany and raising funds to send them to Syria and Iraq to join IS. Abu Walaa was the imam at a radical mosque in the northern city of Hildesheim and also organised “Islam seminars” at mosques elsewhere in Germany.

The suspects were arrested in November.