Ex-soldier ‘has clear case’ to appeal against IS membership conviction – lawyer

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith has “a clear case” to appeal against her conviction for being a member of the so-called Islamic State (IS) terror group, her lawyer has said.

Smith, 43, from Dundalk in Co Louth, is to outline her case at the Court of Appeal on Thursday.

The ex-Defence Forces member was found guilty of IS membership in 2023 but was cleared of financing terrorism after a nine-week trial at Dublin’s Special Criminal Court.

Smith, a convert to Islam, went to Syria in 2015 after terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims to travel to the country.

She had pleaded not guilty to charges of membership of IS and providing funds to benefit the group.

She was handed 15 months in prison and lost an appeal over the severity of the sentence.

Her legal team is expected to argue at the Court of Appeal that Smith should not have been convicted of IS membership as she was travelling to Syria for religious reasons only.

Peter Corrigan of Phoenix Law said: “Lisa Smith quite rightly is appealing her conviction given the unique nature of her conviction. She has a clear case to appeal.

“She did not so much as hold a gun, nor fire a shot, nor did she commit any wrongdoings whilst there.

“We make clear that Lisa was a victim of domestic violence and suffered greatly whilst in Syria.

“She is a devoted mother to her daughter to whom she is deeply attached.”