A British woman has been sentenced to prison for attempting to send money to help her husband fight alongside Islamist extremists in Syria.
Amal El-Wahabi, of London, was convicted after she was caught trying to trick a friend into sending her husband 20,000 euros, $25,000, the BBC reported. A judge sentenced her to 28 months in prison, a lighter sentence due to the fact that she is the mother of two kids, ages five and 17 months.
Judge Nicholas Hilliard said evidence shows the 28-year-old defendant's husband, Aine Davis, has been fighting with ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, since he left the U.K. in July 2013.
"I am also satisfied that you knew he was engaged in violence with guns for extremist religious and ideological reasons and knew the money you were sending was destined for that purpose," Hilliard said according to the BBC.
El-Wahabi convinced her friend, Nawal Msaad, to carry 20,000 euros in cash with her to Turkey after Davis asked El-Wahabi to send him money via the neighboring country. El-Wahabi promised her friend 1,000 in return for her services.
Police at London's Heathrow Airport stopped Msaad before she could make it out the country. She admitted to having the money- reportedly hidden in her underwear- but said she had no idea what it was for. She was found not guilty in connection to the scheme, the BBC reported.
Before sentencing, the wife's defense attorneys said she was afraid her husband would abandon her for another woman in Syria and asked for a suspended sentence. Prosecutors, however, said messages shared between the couple show she encouraged him to continue fighting for the jihadists.
"It will be good for your body and soul," reads one message El-Wahabi allegedly sent to Davis.
London anti-terrorism police said they hope El-Wahabi's conviction will discourage others from funding the militants, who rely on donations and illegal activities to carry out their violent jihad.
"A necessary component of terrorism is finance," Acting Commander Terri Nicholson, of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, said according to the BBC.
"This conviction should be viewed as a very clear message not to support those engaged in terrorism. There are well established charities through which people can donate for humanitarian purposes in Syria."
