BERLIN — A German man of Turkish heritage has been charged with membership in al-Qaida on allegations that he helped procure equipment and funds for the terrorist group, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Sermet I., 31, whose last name was not given in line with German privacy laws, was charged with membership in a foreign terrorist organization and violating German export laws. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The suspect's attorney was on vacation and could not be reached for comment. A trial has not yet been scheduled.
Sermet I. was arrested Feb. 6 at Stuttgart airport as he entered the country and was charged June 19, prosecutors said. They did not say where he was travelling from. He is alleged to have supplied range finders and other items with possible military applications, along with cash, to Aleem N., a German of Pakistani origin who was arrested in Germany in February 2008. Aleem N. is then accused of then having transported the equipment and money to al-Qaida contacts in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.
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