The court in The Hague sentenced Maher H., a Dutch citizen who had moved to Syria, to three years in prison for participating in jihad in Syria on Monday, while his wife Shukri F. was acquitted.

The 20-year-old Maher H., with his name abbreviated according to Netherlands' privacy laws, went to Syria in July 2013 and returned to the Netherlands in February 2014.

The court finds him guilty of preparation of homicide with "terrorist intent". The penalty was the same as the demand from the public prosecution in the beginning of November.

The case against H. is the first criminal case in a Dutch court against a jihad suspect who has actually gone to Syria. Earlier people have been convicted of preparing a jihad journey.

The prosecutor had previously demanded a prison sentence of four years for his 20-year-old wife Shukri F.. She was suspected of recruiting six people for jihad and for sedition. However, the court found insufficient evidence for criminal offenses.

"The court does not doubt the extreme jihadist mind of the woman but decided to acquittal of recruiting for the armed struggle in Syria, of sedition and spreading inflammatory messages," the court stated.

A third defendant, Imad el O., was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and a suspended sentence of three months for evading a 16-year-old girl from parental authority to recruit her for the "armed struggle". The demand of the prosecutor was 240 hours of community service.

The prosecutor has not taken a decision on a possible appeal in the cases yet.