8½-Year Sentence for American Who Fought for ISIS Is Too Lenient, Says Sixth Circuit
The Sixth Circuit has deemed an 8½-year sentence for Mirsad Ramic, an American who fought for ISIS, as too lenient. The district court had significantly reduced the recommended sentence of 30 to 50 years. Ramic's involvement with ISIS included participating in violent attacks that resulted in numerous deaths and atrocities.
- ▪Mirsad Ramic traveled from the U.S. to Syria to join ISIS and participated in the siege of Kobane.
- ▪The Sixth Circuit criticized the district court for downplaying the severity of Ramic's actions and ISIS's mission.
- ▪Ramic had previously refused to recite the oath of allegiance during his naturalization ceremony, instead proclaiming an Islamic oath.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Politics 8½-Year Sentence for American Who Fought for ISIS Is Too Lenient, Says Sixth Circuit The district court had departed downward from the Sentencing Guidelines' recommended sentence of 30 to 50 years. Eugene Volokh | 5.18.2026 8:01 AM From Wednesday's decision by Judge Amul Thapar, joined by Judges Julia Gibbons and Joan Larsen, in U.S. v. Ramic: Over a decade ago, a new wave of terrorism spread across the Middle East. A group calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) sought to establish a new regime strictly governed by Islamic law. To do so, ISIS employed brutal tactics—planting bombs, publicly decapitating its enemies, burning people alive, and enslaving women and children. It also launched vicious attacks to conquer territory in Iraq and Syria.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Reason.com.
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