STOCKHOLM, Sweden – A Swedish court on Monday sentenced four men to prison for their involvement in the Islamic State (IS) network, citing their participation in recruitment, weapons training, and propaganda activities. However, three of the men were acquitted of charges related to plotting an attack inside Sweden.

The Nacka District Court handed down sentences ranging from three to six-and-a-half years, stating that the convicted individuals actively supported IS operations in Somalia between 2023 and 2024.

The prosecution alleged that the men sought to spread IS ideology and prepare for militant activities.

The four Swedish nationals convicted were:

• Omar Yasser Ahmed Atia, 21 – was sentenced to six-and-a-half years.
• Daniel Elias Johansson, 25 – sentenced to six years.
• Rasmus Erik Johansson, 23 – sentenced to five-and-a-half years.
• Elyas Mohamed Hakamali, 63 – sentenced to three years.

The court ruled that while the men had engaged in IS-related activities, there was insufficient evidence to prove that three of them were preparing a specific terrorist attack in Sweden.

“The district court did not consider that there was a sufficiently clear plan for an intended terrorist offense,” the ruling stated.

The Swedish Prosecution Authority, which accused the suspects of planning an IS-backed attack targeting civilians, expressed disappointment with the acquittals but said it respected the court’s decision.

Key figures and investigations

One of the convicted men, Elyas Mohamed Hakamali, a 63-year-old imam in Tyresö, was identified as a central figure in the case. Authorities alleged that he played a key role in radicalizing and recruiting young converts for IS activities in Somalia.

Hakamali, who had led a local Islamic cultural association and mosque for over two decades, was arrested in a pre-dawn raid on April 17, 2024.

His mosque, which had received nearly half a million kronor in state funding since 2016, is now under investigation for potential misuse of funds related to radicalization efforts.

The Swedish Security Service (Säpo) believes that Hakamali’s activities extended beyond recruitment, alleging that he provided ideological training to children and young people at the mosque.

Wiretaps and alleged attack plans

Prosecutors revealed that wiretapped conversations captured two of the convicted men, brothers aged 23 and 25, discussing plans to target government buildings, police offices, intelligence agencies, and synagogues in Sweden.

Authorities allege that the pair had received instructions from IS contacts in Somalia to “kill as many infidels as possible, with Jewish targets as the main focus.”

The investigation also found that the group had connections to an organized criminal gang in Tyresö, which provided them with a firearm and an electric stun gun.

Prosecutors claimed the suspects discussed recruiting minors under 18 who were “ready to die as martyrs” in attacks.

Defense lawyers for Atia and Johansson indicated that their clients would appeal the verdicts. At the same time, attorneys for the other two convicted men did not immediately comment.

Swedish authorities arrested three suspects during coordinated raids across Stockholm on March 7, 2024. Hakamali was taken into custody separately on April 17, 2024, following a second phase of investigations.

Säpo described the arrests as a preventative measure to “thwart a potential attack.” However, details on the suspected plot remain classified.

The case has raised concerns about radicalization networks operating within Sweden, with authorities vowing to intensify counterterrorism efforts to prevent further IS-linked activities in the country.