A Portuguese-Luxembourgish jihadist, Steve Duarte, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Luxembourg on charges of terrorism and murder.
The court in Luxembourg City aligned with the Public Prosecutor’s request, sentencing the defendant who traveled from Meispelt to Syria in 2014, to join the Islamic State (IS).
The trial proceeded in absentia because Duarte’s whereabouts are unknown, creating uncertainty about his serving the sentence.
Steve Duarte has 40 days to appeal the verdict.
The trial of Steve Duarte, aged 38, who is of Portuguese and Luxembourgish nationality, is occurring in absentia.
Notícias ao Minuto | 12:24 – 16/06/2025
Prosecutors believe he is detained in a Kurdish prison in northern Syria after his capture in 2019 with his French-born wife at the Syria-Iraq border. While Duarte was imprisoned, his family returned to France.
First flagged by Luxembourg’s Judicial Police in early 2014, he is believed to have become radicalized years earlier, departing the country in August 2014 at age 27 to join IS.
The prosecution argued Duarte’s radicalization started online, emerging as a key propagandist for IS and participating in the execution of five Kurdish fighters in Mosul, Iraq, in 2016, a crime documented on video.
Luxembourg authorities claim Duarte led the execution despite his denials during a rare media interaction in 2019.
“I made a mistake. I’m prepared to go to prison.”
In an interview with Kurdish television channel Rudaw TV from a Syrian prison in 2019, Duarte acknowledged his mistakes and expressed remorse.
“What do I want? To leave prison, return to a normal life, care for my children, teach them right from wrong, educate them in religion, and prevent them from making the same mistakes. I want a new life, God willing,” he stated.
Steve Duarte, of Portuguese and Luxembourgish nationality, expressed remorse, desiring a return to Europe. He is ready to face justice but will not renounce Islam, which he claims differs significantly from that practiced by IS.
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He also expressed a desire to rebuild his life with his family, accepting whatever punishment Luxembourg’s justice system might impose. “I’m thinking of returning to Luxembourg; I’d have to go to prison. I made a mistake, and if that mistake deserves time in prison, I’m ready,” said Steve Duarte, also known as Abu Muhadjir Al Andalousi.
