Belgian sentenced to 30 years in prison for terrorism in Syria

A Criminal Court in Belgium has sentenced in absentia Arben Imishti, a fighter in Syria originally from Belgian city of Antwerp, to 30 years in prison for a terrorist execution, Belgian press reported on Thursday.

Appearing in a video unmasked, Imishti was recorded to behead a hostage in November 2014, just two months after his departure to Syria. Alongside him was known terrorist Jihadi John, who was killed in a 2015 coalition drone strike in the Syrian town of Raqa.

He was later identified by the security services as 38-year-old Imishti from the northern part of Antwerp in Belgium, newspaper La Libre reported.

Imishti's family claimed that he has died, which was rejected by the federal prosecutor.

"It would not be the first time that someone is declared dead in Syria, so that this person can go back to Belgium illegally and escape trial. We have not received any death certificate," said the federal prosecutor.

According to the La Libre report, anti-terrorist agencies have discovered that Imishti had kept in touch with his mother and sister to regularly asked for money to buy weapons and equipment.

His mother and sister were sentenced in February 12 and eight months in prison respectively for having sent him at least 9,000 euros to purchase arms.