Doctor Sentenced to 27 Months for ISIS Membership After October 7
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Dr. Muhammad Azam, a former doctor at Soroka Hospital, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for membership in ISIS. He pledged allegiance to the group's leader after the October 7th attacks and possessed bomb-making manuals. The court cited his prolonged radicalization and potential risk due to his medical profession. His medical license is also under review.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Dr. Muhammad Azam, a Soroka Hospital doctor, received 27 months for ISIS membership.
- He pledged allegiance to ISIS's leader after the October 7th attacks.
- Azam possessed manuals for preparing explosives and poisons.
- The court noted the potential risk due to his role as a doctor.
- His medical license is being reviewed by the Ministry of Health.
- He also received a suspended sentence and a 15,000 shekel fine.
A district court in Beersheba has sentenced Dr. Muhammad Azam, a doctor formerly employed at Soroka Hospital, to 27 months in prison for membership in the ISIS terrorist organization. The sentence also includes a conditional prison term and a fine of 15,000 shekels. The court found that Azam underwent a prolonged process of ideological radicalization, pledging allegiance to ISIS's leader after the October 7th attacks. During his trial, it was revealed that from 2014 until his arrest in July 2024, Azam systematically consumed ISIS propaganda. His identification with the terrorist group deepened over the years, culminating in his decision to join its ranks and swear loyalty to its leader following the October 7th Hamas attack and during the ensuing "Swords of Iron" war.
Further investigation uncovered that Azam possessed manuals on preparing explosives and poisons on his devices. The sentencing judge, Shosh Shitrit, emphasized that Azam's actions were not mere curiosity but indicated a deep, ongoing radicalization and the development of operational capabilities. The court determined that possessing such materials posed a severe potential threat to national security and public safety. Prosecutors had pushed for a lengthy prison sentence, highlighting the severity of the case due to the duration of Azam's radicalization, the volume of material he accumulated, his joining ISIS during wartime, and the potential risk stemming from his role as a doctor.
The court stressed the need for a deterrent punishment for terrorism offenses. In addition to the prison time, Azam received a 12-month suspended sentence and the 15,000 shekel fine. Prosecutor Hofit Kantrovitz stated that the sentence reflects the gravity of Azam's actions, noting the stark contrast between a doctor's duty of compassion and life-saving and his choice to join a murderous terrorist organization. Azam's details have been forwarded to the Ministry of Health for consideration of revoking his medical license.
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