The first conviction over the 2016 burning execution of two Turkish nationals by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria has brought some solace to the victims’ families, but many aspects of the gruesome killing remain in the dark as critics say authorities are reluctant to dig deep into IS-related probes.

On Oct. 18, a court in Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, found Jamal Abdul Rahman Alwi, a Syrian national, guilty of ordering the execution. The sexagenarian was handed three life sentences without the possibility of parole, including two for the burning executions. Alwi — the sole defendant in the case — rejected the charges. According to the prosecution, he was an IS member from 2013 to 2016 and served as a qadi, or a judge in a Sharia court. Alwi’s lawyers say they will appeal the sentence, citing insufficient evidence for the conviction. 

Ankara has yet to break its silence on the execution since a video posted on social media in December 2016 showed two young Turkish-speaking men clad in military camouflage being set afire. One of the victims — Sefter Tas, a soldier abducted from a border area the year before — was quietly confirmed dead in 2017 when officials informed his family the video was authentic and their son was martyred, according to Tas’ father. The authorities have kept mum on the other victim, Fethi Sahin, who remains alive in official records amid claims that he had joined IS or worked for Turkish intelligence.

Alwi was arrested in September 2021 following an explosive media report that he was living as a free man and running a bird shop in Gaziantep despite earlier detention and indictment on charges of IS membership.