Bujar Hysa

The First Instance Court of Serious Crimes in Tirana found the nine men guilty on Tuesday evening of recruiting some 70 Albanians to fight in the conflict in Syria.

They were convicted of "inciting terrorism" and "recruiting people to carry out terrorist acts".

Five months after a video showed him threatening Albanians on behalf of ISIS., Albania's serious crimes prosecution office has passed Almir Daci's file to the courts for trial.

The former imam from Pogradec in eastern Albania, who is now believed to be in territory held by ISIS, will be tried in absentia for advocating terrorism and for recruiting persons to conduct terrorist acts.

Albania arrests alleged jihad recruiting group

Officials are trying to prevent imams and others from recruiting Muslims to fight in foreign conflicts.

Muslims arrive at a Tirana mosque whose imam, Genci Balla, and six others were arrested on charges of recruiting believers to join the Syria conflict. [AFP]