Flag of Austria
Flag of AustriaiStock

An Austrian jury has convicted a Palestinian Arab man on terrorism-related charges for inciting fellow radicals to kill Jews in Jerusalem, The Associated Press reported on Monday.

The 27-year old man — unnamed due to Austrian privacy laws — also was found guilty of belonging to a terrorist organization due to his affiliation with Hamas.

He was sentenced to life in prison, according to AP.

The six-member jury delivered its verdict after prosecutors presented evidence that the man called on others through social media to kill victims in Jerusalem.

They cited his statements expressing pride in being a Hamas member, and noted that he had served a nine-year prison sentence in Israel for terrorist acts against the Jewish state.

Defense lawyers are appealing the verdict, reported AP.

Like many other countries, Austria has been facing a terror threat from both asylum seekers as well as locals who travel to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside jihadists, then return to their home countries.

Facing the challenges of Austrians travelling to the Middle East to join jihadist groups, Austria's parliament in February of 2015 passed a law banning foreign sources of financing to Muslim organizations and requiring imams to be able to speak German.

In January of this year, Austrian armed commandos arrested a man suspected of planning a terrorist attack in Vienna.