BALI, November 12 (RIA Novosti) — Two Malaysians have been charged in court with funding a militant group Islamic State (IS) through their blog called Revolusi Islam, The Star reported Wednesday.
The case will now be transferred to the High Court. If proved guilty, the offenders could be punished by up to 30 years in prison plus a fine or confiscation of any belongings used for terrorist activities.
In recent weeks, Malaysian police arrested three local citizens suspected in supporting the IS, who recently returned to the country from the Middle East.
Malaysia is among the countries that consider IS a terrorist organization. Earlier, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said that the country would support action against the extremists.
The Islamic State is a Sunni jihadi group that has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, it launched an offensive in Iraq, seizing vast areas in both countries and announcing the establishment of an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control. More than 30,000 militants are believed to be fighting for the IS.
According to the US State Department, about 12,000 foreigners have joined the extremists fighting against government forces in Syria since the internal conflict began.
