Frenchman Flavien Moreau jailed for Syria jihad

The first jihadist to be tried in France after returning from Syria has been given a seven-year jail sentence.

Flavien Moreau, 28, travelled to Syria and joined an Islamist militant group, but says he only stayed for a dozen days because he missed smoking - banned by the jihadist group he joined.

A man who received money from Moreau was sentenced to four years in jail.

France estimates that about 1,000 of its citizens are or have been involved with jihadist groups.

Dozens have been arrested and are awaiting trial.

'Gun and ammunition'

In court on Thursday, Moreau was given the maximum sentence sought by prosecutors.

Moreau's lawyer, Pierre Darkanian, described it as "a purely punitive response", Reuters news agency reported.

Mr Darkanian did not say which militant group Moreau had joined, but said it was neither Islamic State or Nusra Front, Reuters added.

Born in South Korea, Moreau was adopted by a French family in Nantes at a young age.

He had 13 previous criminal convictions, and converted to Islam after leaving prison.

He travelled to Syria at the end of 2012.

Moreau told the court he found a smuggler to take him to a town controlled by Islamist fighters, where he bought a gun and ammunition. However, he denied taking part in any fighting.

"I found it really hard not to smoke... so I gave my weapon to my emir and left," he said.