Courts / Louth / Report
Lisa Smith wanted to become student of famous ISIS propagandist, trial hears
Summary
Lisa Smith, a former Defence Forces member aged 39 from Dundalk, Co. Louth, denies membership in the Islamic State. In 2013, she exchanged messages with American Islamic scholar John Georgelas, who was living in Egypt at the time. Georgelas invited her to travel to Egypt to study under him and offered to pay her to care for his wife, Tania Joya's children. Smith replied that she would not accept money for childcare, stating that learning from him would be sufficient. Georgelas later left Egypt with Joya and arranged to meet Smith in Turkey. Joya testified that Georgelas was a respected scholar who could "overwhelm" people with his knowledge of scripture and that he wrote for Isis propaganda magazines Dabiq and Rumiyah. Lisa Smith pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Lisa Smith wanted to become student of famous ISIS propagandist, trial hears. Charges or matters: membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019; financing terrorism by sending €800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- October 28th, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 1st, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 6th, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2022-01-28 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019; financing terrorism by sending €800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Places mentioned
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