A Bosnian Muslim cleric was sentenced to seven years in jail yesterday for recruiting fighters to join Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, under a new law aimed at stopping people becoming militants in the Middle East.

Husein Bosnic, known as an unofficial leader of the ultra-conservative Salafi movement in Bosnia, was arrested last year and was among 17 others on trial in Bosnia for suspected links with militant groups in Syria and Iraq.

Mr Bosnic, sporting a long beard , showed no emotion as the verdict was read in court. He was guarded by special forces officers in balaclavas, who also acted as security outside the court house.

He is married with 17 children and has no previous convictions

“Defendant Husein Bosnic is guilty of... consciously, during 2013-14 from the position of religious authority, publicly inciting, recruiting people and organising a terrorist group,” the chairman of the court council, Amela Huskic, said.

Mr Bosnic’s lawyer, Adil Lozo, said the trial was “politically fabricated”. Ms Huskic said that mitigating factors in Mr Bosnic’s favour were that he was married with 17 children and had no previous convictions, but she also said he had shown no remorse and maintained that he was only interpreting Islam.

In his lectures held in Salafi strongholds in western and northern Bosnia and published on YouTube, Mr Bosnic had promoted and spread Islamist radicalism, citing selective parts of the Koran to convince believers that killing so-called infidels, or non-Muslims, would absolve them of any previous sins, she said.

“At least six Bosnian citizens, who attended Bosnic’s lectures, were killed in Syria, while others stayed there to fight, representing a threat for security in Bosnia when they return,” Ms Huskic said.