27 Months in Prison for Ex-Soroka Doctor Who Joined ISIS

The Beersheba Magistrate's Court today (Monday) sentenced Dr. Mohammed Azam, a physician who worked at Soroka Medical Center, to 27 months in prison, a suspended sentence, and a fine of 15,000 shekels. He was convicted six months ago of membership in the ISIS terror organization.

In the proceedings, handled by the Southern District Attorney's Office, the court determined that Azam “went through a prolonged process of ideological radicalization, pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS after the terror attack of October 7, and kept on his devices manuals for preparing explosives and poisons.”

The verdict and sentencing by Judge Shosh Shitrit indicate that from 2014 until his arrest in July 2024, Azam systematically and continuously consumed ISIS propaganda content. Over the years, his identification with the organization deepened, and after the events of October 7, during the war known as “Swords of Iron,” he decided to join its ranks and swore allegiance to its leader. The court also determined that after the oath of allegiance, his conduct became even more extreme.

In the sentencing, Judge Shitrit emphasized that “Azam's conduct did not stem from curiosity alone, but attested to a deep and ongoing process of radicalization and to the building of operational capability and readiness.” The court ruled that possession of the operational materials created a serious potential for harm to state security and public safety.

The prosecution sought a lengthy prison term. The court found that the circumstances of the case were especially severe, among other reasons, because of the duration of the radicalization, the volume of content the defendant amassed, his joining ISIS in the middle of the war, and the potential risk arising from his role as a physician. The court further emphasized the need for deterrent punishment in offenses of membership in a terror organization.

At the conclusion of the proceedings, the court sentenced Azam to 27 months in prison, minus the days he spent in custody. It should be noted that the defendant was arrested in July 2024, and in December 2025 he was released under conditions by the Supreme Court. The court ruled that he will begin serving his sentence, with the days spent in custody deducted as stated, on the fifth of next month.