Austria deports IS propagandists – but where is he now?

Austria deports IS propagandists – but where is he now?

Today, July 15, 2025, Austria set a remarkable example with the deportation of a Syrian criminal. The move marks the first return of a man to Syria in 15 years. The 32-year-old, a convicted IS propagandist, was sentenced to seven years in prison by the Salzburg regional court in November 2018 for his involvement in the terrorist militia “Islamic State”. He had worked as a “media mujahid”, recruiting members for IS and spreading propaganda content on various platforms such as Google, Facebook, Telegram and Twitter. In total he is said to have operated around 30 profiles. In February 2019, his asylum status was revoked and an indefinite entry ban was issued.

The deportation initially did not take place yesterday due to the closed airspace over Syria caused by the Middle East conflict. Nevertheless, the Ministry of the Interior, under the leadership of Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), started the repatriation last week. The man was deported to Damascus by scheduled flight via Istanbul. Karner emphasizes the need for a tough asylum policy and plans to carry out further deportations, but not “mass deportations”. Austria is now in the spotlight of international attention as the first European country to officially deport a Syrian criminal to Syria.

Disappearance after deportation

However, after the deportation, the man disappeared without a trace. The last contact was recorded from Istanbul and neither family nor aid workers were able to reach him. The Austrian Interior Ministry is not releasing any details about his disappearance, and it remains unclear whether he continued to Damascus or was handed over to Syrian security forces in Turkey. The Ministry of the Interior assures that the handover to the responsible authorities was carried out legally.

The man's lawyer has called for diplomatic action and pointed to the ban on refoulement, which states that no refugee may be sent back to a country where he or she is at risk of torture or other forms of severe persecution. Neither the Interior nor the Foreign Ministry appear to be responsible for the man's situation. These uncertainties raise questions about the legal basis and humanitarian obligations associated with such a deportation.

Willingness to prosecute criminal offenses

The man's criminal history shows a chain of criminal offenses that ultimately led to his deportation. After serving his sentence, he was taken back into custody for another offense in March 2025 and sentenced to two months in prison in May. After this sentence, he was placed in detention pending deportation, which ultimately led to preparations for his deportation.

Although the deportation is due to a serious offense, the circumstances surrounding the man's disappearance and the role of the authorities in this process are of key interest. Interior Minister Karner maintains that criminals and those at risk must be consistently removed from the country, knowing full well that the topic can spark controversial discussions about asylum law and human rights.

The Interior Ministry points out that around 350 Syrians have voluntarily returned to their home country since the fall of the Assad regime. This makes the current situation even more complex, as both security policy and human rights aspects play a role.

In summary, the deportation of the Syrian IS propagandist not only represents a significant legal act, but also raises important questions about the responsibility of the Austrian authorities and the legal framework agreements.

For more information on this topic, read the reports in Focus and Austria.