Trio jailed in France for ‘wanting’ to fight in Syria

Three young men were convicted and handed prison sentences for trying to travel to Syria, a magnet for foreign fighters, even though they never left France.

The convictions by a Paris court were thought to be the first in France of potential jihad fighters for Syria. The prison sentences show that justice intends to be tough on the scores of young French Muslims drawn to the Syrian civil war — even if they never make it to their destination.

The court handed down prison terms ranging from two to five years for criminal association with the intent to commit terrorist acts, a sweeping charge used in France to cast a wide net in terror cases.