Brazil Sentences 8 In Olympics ISIS Terror Plot
Eight men accused of plotting to attack the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on behalf of ISIS were sentenced Thursday.
The men were found guilty in a Brazilian court of recruiting and promoting terrorism and face sentences that range from five to 15 years in prison. They were arrested in a series of raids in late July 2016, several weeks before the Games.
They had all pledged allegiance to an ISIS offshoot, authorities said, and discussed a plan to contaminate one of Rio de Janeiro's water reservoirs.
"All of the accused were dedicated to promoting the terrorist organization called the Islamic State through the social networks Facebook, Twitter and Instagram," said the judge in the case, Marcos Josegrei da Silva.
The suspects, all Brazilian citizens, discussed plans in email threads, and via messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, according to court documents reviewed by NBC News.
Some celebrated other terrorist attacks, like the shooting at the Orlando nightclub.
It doesn't appear any of them knew each other aside from conversations online and messaging apps.
The convictions are the first under Brazil's new anti-terrorism law. Previously, terrorism was not clearly defined in Brazil and was treated like any other crime; now an individual can face up to 22 years in jail if found guilty of preparing terrorist acts.