Jury Weighs Charges Against New York Woman Linked to Islamic State

Halima Salman, a U.S. citizen from Brooklyn, is facing charges related to her alleged military training with the Islamic State group while in Syria. Her attorney, Mia Eisner-Grynberg, argued that Salman was deceived by her father, who transported her to Turkey in 2017 and then smuggled her into Syria without her knowledge. Once there, she was forced into marriage with a militant fighter despite having had no desire to join the conflict.

Prosecutors, however, assert that Salman, now 27, had a greater degree of freedom than claimed, citing evidence like a video showing her handling an assault rifle and a photo of her with the Islamic State flag. Throughout the trial, Salman testified about the hardships she faced, including being taken captive and later divorced. Jurors began their deliberation on Thursday, considering the defense’s call for a not-guilty verdict due to a lack of compelling evidence of her training.