A Frenchman has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for seeking to recruit dozens of youths to fight in Syria and for leading a brigade of French-speaking extremists in the war-torn country. Mourad Fares, 35, fled Syria in 2014, and was arrested in Turkey and handed over to French authorities the same year, Agence France Presse reported. Prosecutors said he played a "crucial" role in the recruitment of young people to fight as militants in Syria, and noted a lack of any "real regret" for his actions. Fares appeared unmoved as the verdict was read out at a special court Friday evening, AFP said. He admitted to the court that he "indirectly" recruited youths via his propaganda videos and "facilitated" the entry of a number of people into Syria. He denied taking part in combat operations in Syria, where he traveled in 2014. But prosecutors said he "participated in armed actions" with ISIS before leaving to join a cell of French-speaking extremists. The court also found Fares guilty of leading this cell. Dozens of French citizens left to join ISIS in Syria and Iraq before US-led coalition forces dislodged the extremists from their so-called "caliphate" last year.