The German authorities have obtained a list of the names of about 22,000 foreigners who have traveled to Syria to fight for the Islamic State, a trove of documents that officials say will help them prosecute fighters who return home and improve their efforts to prevent other Germans from joining the organization.
Germany hopes that information in the list can serve as evidence in the trials of several citizens facing charges related to terrorist activities, Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière told reporters on Tuesday.
The authorities in Germany have said that they believe about 800 citizens have traveled to Syria to fight with the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, and that about a quarter of them have since returned.
Several have been brought before the country’s courts, but prosecutors often lack sufficient proof to charge them with being members of a terrorist organization.