KaPo arrests two Estonians suspected of supporting Islamic terrorism
It emerged on Wednesday that Estonian internal security service KaPo has arrested two men in Tallinn under suspicion of supporting Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), the Islamic terrorist organization currently in charge of large areas in Syria and Iraq.
The two men who have been formally charged, are named as architecture student Ramil Khalilov (24) and former boxer Roman Manko, Estonian weekly newspaper Eesti Ekspress reported.
According to prosecutor Laura Vaigu, the men offered financial support to their acquaintance, who is currently fighting on behalf of ISIS in Syria.
Khalilov's lawyer Kristi Rande, however, argues that her client merely supported his friend's family. Khalilov's financial help amounted to less than 4,000 euros.
In addition to the two arrested men, another Estonian resident, Ivan Sazanakov (31), is wanted on terrorism charges. Sazanakov aka Abdurrahman Azan is an Islam convert who went to fight on behalf of ISIS in 2013, taking his family with him. Sazanakov is not an Estonian citizen, however.
Despite media reports of a number of people traveling to Syria to fight for and against the Islamic State, there is no reason to believe the threat of terrorism in Estonia has increased, Harrys Puusepp, the spokesman for KaPo, told ERR in January. The Estonian Islamic Congregation has about 1,300-1,400 members.
Editor: S. Tambur