Iraq sentences six French Daesh militants to life imprisonment, seventh to 15 years

An Iraqi court has sentenced six French nationals to life imprisonment and a seventh to 15 years in prison after convicting them of membership in the Daesh terrorist group, the country's Supreme Judicial Council announced on Tuesday.

The council said the Al Karkh Criminal Court in Baghdad handed down the sentences in the presence of the defendants' lawyers and representatives of the French embassy in Iraq, according to a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

The seven convicts were classified as "highly dangerous" because of their roles in threatening Iraq's national security, destabilising Iraq and Syria, and involvement in inciting terrorist attacks in other countries, the council said.

The convicted men were among a group of 47 French nationals transferred to Iraqi authorities last year from northeastern Syria.

The council said the Karkh First Investigation Court had investigated the suspects before referring them to the competent criminal court in accordance with established legal procedures.