logo
Small-boat migrant posted pro-terrorist videos while seeking asylum in UK

Small-boat migrant posted pro-terrorist videos while seeking asylum in UK

Yahoo07-04-2025

A judge has criticised a small-boat migrant who posted pro-Islamic State videos online while applying for asylum.
Hakan Barac, 28, a Turkish national reached the UK two years ago and was in the process of applying for asylum when he was arrested by counter-terrorism police last year.
Bristol Crown Court heard Barac had been posting videos on social media sites including Instagram and Telegram glorifying IS and terrorists Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The videos showed jihadists preparing for martyrdom, and also featured Mohammed Khalifa, the Saudi-born Canadian recruiter.
Barac, of Newport, South Wales, previously pleaded guilty to five counts relating to the online distribution of terrorist publications, and one of expressing support for a proscribed organisation.
Jailing Barac for 45 months, Judge Martin Picton said Barac had shared material glorifying 'violent terrorism'.
'The dissemination of material of this kind has the clear potential to be supportive of such activity,' he said.
'It is apparent from your own use of social media that you have a mindset that is aligned with that ideology.
'The pattern of terrorist activity in modern times demonstrates the potential for individuals to be encouraged by material they see posted on social media so as to carry out acts of violence.
'Anybody posting material in the nature that features in this case runs the risk of encouraging another to commit an act of terrorism.
'This is not a victimless crime and the maximum penalty, as well as the relevant sentencing guidelines reflect that position.
'I accept you have had a difficult life and that you have navigated a challenging route to get to this country.
'You are here seeking asylum but at the same time choose to disseminate material that strikes at the very heart of our democratic society.
'For you to behave in that way when seeking refuge in this country is very difficult to understand and must seem utterly unacceptable to all right-thinking people.'
Ben Lloyd, prosecuting, said: 'It was apparent that a substantial number of followers to his accounts were interested in extreme Islamic subject matters.
'The defendant shared such material recklessly. In other words, he was reckless as to whether an effect of his posting the material would be the direct or indirect encouragement to the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
'The prosecution's position is that the defendant's activity, while not intentional, nevertheless involved a repeated and wilful disregard with a clear, serious and obvious risk of encouraging terrorist activity.'
Mr Lloyd said that investigators found other material that he had posted online shortly before his arrest glorifying IS and martyrdom.
'The prosecution position is that the possession and sharing of this material demonstrates that defendant itself is of an Islamic extremist mindset,' he said.
'It is extreme in nature and depicts graphic violence and his possession of it demonstrates an escalation in the nature of the material he was viewing and sharing the days before his arrest.'
Mr Lloyd said Barac had entered the UK illegally on a small boat on April 22 2023.
'He does not have leave to remain, but he is permitted to stay while an application for asylum is considered and he has no previous convictions recorded against him in this jurisdiction,' he said.
Tim Forte KC, mitigating, said Barac had pleaded guilty on the basis there was 'no intention to assist or encourage' and the posts had only been seen by a small number of people.
'He thought he had a hundred followers – that's not a huge group in a country of 60 million, in a world of eight billion,' he said.
'Given it's global, it's a relatively small number. There is no evidence that others have acted or been assisted.'
Judge Picton said due to the sentence, Barac would be automatically be referred to the authorities to consider deportation.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Donald Trump is front and center for Army's big DC birthday parade
Donald Trump is front and center for Army's big DC birthday parade

USA Today

time30 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Donald Trump is front and center for Army's big DC birthday parade

Donald Trump is front and center for Army's big DC birthday parade Trump is poised to be president during the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the LA Summer Olympics in 2028. Show Caption Hide Caption Military equipment headed to DC ahead of Trump's birthday parade Battle tanks, fighting vehicles and infantry carriers departed Texas for D.C. for President Trump's military parade. The June 14 parade reflects the president's vision of his role and of the nation's power. Some predict an inspiring moment of patriotism; others see an alarming echo of authoritarianism. WASHINGTON − Donald Trump loves a parade. Also palace-in-the-sky planes, gold decor in the Oval Office, the adulation of huge rallies, the company of kings (British, Saudi), and the general aura that surrounds power, wealth and royalty. The president's determination to stage a procession of America's troops and its military hardware, with 28 Abrams tanks thundering up Constitution Avenue in the nation's capital and 50 military helicopters thumping overhead, reflects his vision of his role and the nation he leads. Asserting sweeping and sometimes unprecedented powers for the presidency, he is commanding a go-it-alone United States, ready and willing to flex its muscle in the world. The last big national event, Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, was a demonstration of tradition and shared powers: The incoming president stood on the Capitol steps, the chief justice gave the oath, members of Congress and former presidents witnessed the peaceful transition of authority. Five months later, the celebration on June 14 marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army will put Trump alone front and center. Also: The parade just happens to be taking place on his 79th birthday. Trump is the happy beneficiary of the calendar. He is poised to be president not only during the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding but also the FIFA World Cup in 2026 (co-hosted with Canada and Mexico) and the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. The confluence of events is no coincidence, he suggests. "I have everything," he boasted at a Memorial Day event at Arlington Cemetery. "Amazing the way things work out. God did that." The good fortune of Trump's 2020 defeat Whether or not it was a case of divine intervention, Trump's electoral defeat in 2020 has, with the benefit of hindsight, turned out to be serendipitous for him. The four-year interregnum not only put him in a position to preside during historic and high-profile celebrations, but it also gave him a Democratic predecessor as a whipping boy when things go wrong. It also provided the opportunity for him to solidify control of the Republican Party and for supporters to create ambitious blueprints like Project 2025 to tap when he landed a second term. It even opened the door for the parade he had set his heart on when he watched French tanks roll down the Champs-Élysées in Paris on Bastille Day in 2017. "One of the greatest parades I've ever seen," he marveled, telling French President Emmanuel Macron he wanted to "top" it. During Trump's first term, though, the Pentagon resisted. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a retired Marine Corps four-star general, objected to the idea as a politicization of the military. In 2020, when Trump pushed again despite concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, Mattis' successor, Mark Esper, arranged instead for an array of warplanes to fly down the East Coast in an "air parade." Now, Pete Hegseth, a Trump loyalist and former Fox News host, is leading the Defense Department. The Army's plans for a low-key birthday celebration of festivals, fun runs and a commemorative stamp have now been dramatically expanded to include what the White House might call a big, beautiful parade. The sight of more than 100 combat vehicles on the ground and dozens of vintage and modern warplanes in the air should be staggering. The troops plus 34 horses, two mules, a dog named Doc Holliday and some of the vehicles will start at the Pentagon in Virginia, cross Arlington Memorial Bridge, then head to the parade route along the National Mall, joined there by the tanks. Trump will be watching from a reviewing stand just south of the White House that is now being constructed for the occasion. Paratroopers from the Army's Golden Knights are set to parachute in, land on the Eclipse and present Trump with an American flag. The president will then preside over the enlistment and reenlistment of 250 soldiers. There will be fireworks. Is it inspiring or alarming? The United States has staged military parades before, of course. At the end of the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history, the Grand Review of the Armies lasted two days and featured 145,000 soldiers from the victorious Union forces marching through Washington and sometimes breaking into song. President Andrew Johnson, who had been sworn in after Abraham Lincoln's assassination a month earlier, presided. During the Cold War, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a retired five-star general and hero of World War II, had troops, tanks and warplanes in his inaugural parade. His successor, John F. Kennedy, included troops in his inaugural parade in 1961. The last major military parade in the capital was in 1991 to mark the end of the first Gulf War, when George H.W. Bush was president. But there is not much precedent in the United States for such a massive military parade in peacetime. Like many things involving Trump, reactions clash between those who predict a stirring moment of patriotism and those who see it as an alarming echo of authoritarianism. The ritualized display of armaments and troops is more routine in places like Russia, China and North Korea, where strongmen show their force to their own citizens and the world. In the USA, liberal and pro-democracy groups have declared a "No Kings" day of protests on June 14, with anti-Trump demonstrations planned in more than 1,500 communities across the country. Trump has never been shy about demanding attention and claiming credit for his presidential record, putting himself in the top rank of the 45 men who have held the job. In his State of the Union address in March, he said that "many" believed he had just recorded the most successful first month of any presidency − with George Washington in second place. Last month, on the facade of the Agriculture Department that faces the Mall, a huge banner of Trump's face was draped between the columns alongside one of Lincoln. By the way, that's the building where thousands of the troops who will be marching in the parade will bivouac, sleeping on cots and bringing their own sleeping bags. Agriculture employees have been directed to work from home for the first three weeks of the month to clear the way for them. $45 million? 'Peanuts,' Trump says The parade's price tag? The Army has estimated the cost at $30 million to $45 million, in addition to the promise to help the D.C. government deal with the aftermath. Huge steel plates are being embedded at some intersections to protect the asphalt, but at 140,000 pounds each, the Abrams battle tanks are expected to, well, leave an impression. That could add as much as an estimated $16 million. "Peanuts," Trump said of the cost on NBC's "Meet the Press" last month, "compared to the value of doing it."

Lawyers for R. Kelly claim wrongdoing by prosecutors, say imprisoned singer's life in danger
Lawyers for R. Kelly claim wrongdoing by prosecutors, say imprisoned singer's life in danger

Chicago Tribune

time35 minutes ago

  • Chicago Tribune

Lawyers for R. Kelly claim wrongdoing by prosecutors, say imprisoned singer's life in danger

Lawyers for imprisoned R&B superstar R. Kelly claim they have uncovered evidence of government wrongdoing and that the Chicago-born singer's life is in danger. Kelly's legal team said in a news release Tuesday they will be filing an emergency motion in Chicago federal court documenting their allegations and seeking Kelly's immediate release from a federal penitentiary in North Carolina, where he's serving a 30-year sentence for sexual misconduct. The motion, the lawyers say, will be 'backed by concrete evidence and declarations that expose a disturbing pattern of government corruption and criminal misconduct' by federal prosecutors in Chicago and New York as well as officials with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The news release claims the officials unjustly manufacture charges against Kelly and are trying to cover it up. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Chicago could not immediately be reached for comment. Kelly's lead attorney, Beau Brindley, and other members of his office plan to hold a news conference outside the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago this afternoon. Kelly, 58, was convicted in 2022 in Chicago of child pornography for making explicit videos of himself and his then-teenage goddaughter, who testified at trial under the pseudonym Jane. He also was convicted of inappropriate sexual relations with Jane and two other teenage girls, 'Pauline' and 'Nia.' The jury acquitted Kelly and two co-defendants on charges they conspired to retrieve incriminating tapes and rig his 2008 trial by pressuring Jane to lie to investigators about their relationship and refuse to testify against him. Kelly was also found not guilty of filming himself with Jane on a video that jurors never saw. Prosecutors said 'Video 4? was not played because Kelly's team successfully buried it, but defense attorneys questioned whether it existed at all. Brindley represented Kelly's former manager, Derrel McDavid, in that case, but has since been hired by Kelly. Meanwhile, Kelly was also convicted in federal court in New York in 2021 of racketeering conspiracy charges alleging his musical career doubled as a criminal enterprise aimed at satisfying his predatory sexual desires. He's serving his time in a medium-security federal prison facility in Butner, North Carolina, and is not eligible for release until the year 2045, records show. Kelly also has a pending lawsuit against the Bureau of Prisons alleging a former employee leaked his jail calls and other information to a video blogger.

Trump administration deploys Marines to Los Angeles
Trump administration deploys Marines to Los Angeles

USA Today

timean hour ago

  • USA Today

Trump administration deploys Marines to Los Angeles

Trump administration deploys Marines to Los Angeles | The Excerpt On Tuesday's episode of The Excerpt podcast: 700 Marines have been deployed to Los Angeles. But California has sued the Trump administration to block deployment of the National Guard and the Marines. Plus, USA TODAY National Correspondent Trevor Hughes reports from on the ground in Southern California. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired all of a committee that advises the federal government on vaccine safety. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison discusses what's next for DOGE after the departure of Elon Musk and the recent collapse of the Trump-Musk alliance. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has been deported from Israel after the Israeli navy prevented her and a group of fellow pro-Palestinian activists from sailing to Gaza. Funk pioneer Sly Stone has died at 82. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@ Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here Taylor Wilson: Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and today is Tuesday, June 10th, 2025. This is the Excerpt. Today, the latest from Los Angeles as Marines move in. Plus what's next for the Department of Government Efficiency. And we remember Sly Stone. ♦ The Trump administration yesterday ordered hundreds of US Marines into Los Angeles to assist the National Guard. A tense standoff between California and the federal government continues. California sued the Trump administration to block deployment of the National Guard and the Marines yesterday arguing that it violates federal law and state sovereignty. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, said the Marines are being sent due to increased threats to federal law enforcement officers and federal buildings. President Trump yesterday said folks causing problems in Los Angeles should be jailed. President Trump: The people that are causing the problem are professional agitators. They're insurrectionists. They're bad people. They should be in jail. Taylor Wilson: Protesters have taken to the streets over ICE detentions and other immigration policies they oppose. Protests have resulted in a few dozen arrests and property damage. For more on what things are like this week in Los Angeles, I rang up USA TODAY, national correspondent, Trevor Hughes. Trevor, thanks as always for joining me. Trevor Hughes: Absolutely. Taylor Wilson: So you're there in Los Angeles. Just set the scene for us here. What has the mood been like around the city? Trevor Hughes: The President and the White House have really been making a big deal about the protests and the unrest. And I've seen it myself. There have been car fires and pepper spray and tear gas, but the reality is Los Angeles is a very large area and these protests have so far been limited to very, very small areas. So the reality is most people are going about their day. Taylor Wilson: As for who you've spoken with, let's start with some of the protesters. What do they say they have been functionally protesting and how has their experience been, Trevor, over the last few days? Trevor Hughes: There is this really deep frustration that people have here in California over the President's immigration agenda. California is a very liberal place compared to most of the rest of the country, and the President swept into office with promises of major deportation efforts. People here are very, very opposed to that. And so some of the riots that we've seen, some of the protests we've seen, have really been sparked by community members trying to stop ICE agents from detaining people or taking them away into these detention centers. Taylor Wilson: Have you had chats with ICE agents or anyone on that side of the coin? Trevor Hughes: No. The federal agents on the ground here have not been talking to reporters. We've heard from the leadership about their goals and we've heard a lot from the President about his concerns. The President has really characterized what's been going on here as very violent, as very dangerous, out of control, and he's promising to bring order back. I will tell you that having been through many, many protests and riots over the years, I would say local police officers clearly have this in hand when they choose to. Taylor Wilson: We know President Trump and California Governor, Gavin Newsom have been exchanging jabs over this, to say the least. That's maybe an understatement. What's the latest amid their tensions, including this lawsuit out of California? Trevor Hughes: Oh goodness. I mean, you have to bear in mind that this enmity between the two of them goes back a very long time. The two of them are very much opposite sides of the same coin in some ways. And this lawsuit where the governor has sued the President over the deployment of the National Guard over his objections is just ratcheting up the tension. And then of course, the President has said that he would consider arresting the governor. Taylor Wilson: Based on what you're hearing there on the ground, what's the expectation? What might we expect the rest of this week and beyond? Trevor Hughes: The President has said that the National Guard will be deployed here for 60 days. Frankly, we have not really seen them in the streets much. So far, it has really been the local law enforcement that has been deployed to the streets. But I will say talking to folks, a lot of young people are very frustrated, are very angry, and just want to show that in a powerful, strong way. I was talking to one guy earlier, he was like, "We don't have guns. We have prayers and feathers. We're not the side with guns and pepper balls and tear gas." "But," he said, "there are young people who want to fight with the police." And he said he can understand why they would feel that way. Taylor Wilson: Trevor Hughes is a national correspondent with USA TODAY joining us from Los Angeles. Thanks, Trevor. Trevor Hughes: Absolutely. ♦ Taylor Wilson: That last person Trevor mentioned was Jose Bear Gallegos, a retired teacher. He said authorities were looking for a reaction from protesters in recent days. Jose Bear Gallegos: They got a little crazy on Saturday, but not on our part. Every time we got a little close, they sprayed us. Taylor Wilson: While cars have been set on fire this week, tear gas has been released and the National Guard and Marines have now been deployed. Some local Angelenos told Trevor that things have not been necessarily out of control. Folks like Los Angeles pastor and retired teacher, Ira Long. Ira Long: It's never been totally out of control. It has its challenges, its issues. As a teacher for LA Unified for 37 years, I know that there's challenges in our community, but I also know that they're amazing and fantastic families who come here and make the city a great place to live. Taylor Wilson: Protests were seen in at least nine other US cities yesterday, according to local news outlets. You can stay with the latest on ♦ Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired all 17 members of a committee that advises the federal government on vaccine safety, and will replace them with new members. At issue is the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, which makes recommendations on the safety, efficacy, and clinical need of vaccines to the CDC. It comprises medical and public health experts who develop recommendations on the use of vaccines in the civilian population of the country. And announcing the move, Kennedy said it was about prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro or anti-vaccine agenda. Kennedy himself has a history of controversial vaccine stances. Earlier this year, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said Kennedy had promised to maintain the advisory committee's current composition. The Biden administration appointed all 17 sitting committee members, with 13 of them taking their seats last year. ♦ What's next for the Department of Government Efficiency after the collapse of the Trump-Musk alliance? I spoke with USA TODAY, White House correspondent, Joey Garrison, for more. Hey there, Joey. Joey Garrison: Hey, Taylor. Thanks for having me on. Taylor Wilson: Thanks for hopping on, Joey. So President Trump says Doge will keep going without Elon Musk. What have we heard from Trump on this point in recent days? Joey Garrison: Since the big blow up with Elon Musk, President Trump has made clear that he intends for Doge to continue its cost-cutting, government-cutting work even without Musk there. Of course, Musk had actually already left the week before. The White House had made clear that it's going to continue to have Doge staff members on board to try to carry out its mission of reducing so-called waste, fraud, and abuse from the government. However, it's hard to say whether it's going to be able to pack the same punch and really aggressively cut the government wholesale like it's been doing for four months without Musk. In addition to Musk leaving, there was various other top Doge officials who signed off. And so there's really a leadership vacuum right now. If you think about all the efforts, particularly in terms of cutting the workforce of the federal government, how much of that was driven publicly by Musk, both with his social media attention that he gave the Doge work as well as the spotlight he took at the White House standing aside Donald Trump during events. That part is going to be missing, and I think a lot of folks have questions whether this is going to quietly go away now the Musk is out of the picture. Taylor Wilson: Well, Joey, considering this potential leadership vacuum, how does Russell Vought enter the picture? Joey Garrison: Yeah, so Russ Vought, who was the OMB director, that stands for Office of Budget and Management, he had that same position in the first Trump term. He's taken the spotlight more as the person who was talking about the swift cuts that Musk was embracing. We see this right now with the rescissions bill that he's trying to get passed through Congress that would codify some of the Doge cuts, particularly when it comes to eliminating government spending on NPR and PBS. So Vought is taking the stance that, hey, we're trying to implement some of these cuts that Elon Musk talked about. And so he's really and center right now. And what you got to remember about Vought is he doesn't sound too much different than Musk. I mean, when you see what he wrote with Project 2025, he talks about breaking the federal bureaucracy so that the Executive Branch, the President, has the full power across the federal government and not these independent agencies. Of course, where Musk though really embraced this very public role, Vought works more behind the scenes, somebody who has a lot more relationships with Congress than Elon Musk. So there's a lot of differences there. I will say that when you ask the White House, "Hey, who's replacing Elon Musk?" They don't point to anyone in particular. They say it's the cabinet secretaries themselves, the leaders of these departments of agencies that are taking on that Doge role. Taylor Wilson: Well, you mentioned Congress a moment ago. Some Republican lawmakers have said they want to codify Doge cuts. What's the latest here? What can you tell us? Joey Garrison: Well, there should be a vote we're expecting on Thursday in regards to that rescissions bill that I mentioned earlier, where they will look to codify that. And Russ Vought has also said, "Look, let's get this one passed with these initial cuts, and then we'll try to get some of these moving forward." But it remains to be seen how many of those cuts are actually enacted eventually. Taylor Wilson: And Joey, we should say, some agencies have been working to even bring back fired workers after this massive slashing that we saw under Musk. Is that still the case? What's happening there? Joey Garrison: That's been a trend that we saw right at the get-go when the haphazardly really issued blanket resignations to all sorts of probationary workers who had been working in less than a year or two within these agencies. After doing so, they either A, found out that they had done too many in certain places or didn't realize some of the folks they were firing, and that continues to be something that we're seeing now. And I think without Musk's presence, top Doge, you're going to see, I think a lot more of these cabinet secretaries feel like they're maybe more empowered to staff the departments to the degree they want to. Yes, Doge is still around, but I think you have a lot less of that pressure, so it'll be curious to see whether the federal government ends up getting a little bit. Taylor Wilson: All right, Joey Garrison is a White House correspondent with USA TODAY. Thanks as always, Joey. Joey Garrison: Yeah, thanks, Taylor. ♦ Taylor Wilson: Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel earlier today, a day after the Israeli Navy prevented her and a group of fellow pro Palestinian activists from sailing to Gaza. Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it neared Gaza early yesterday, trying to break through Israel's longstanding naval blockade. The activists have been carrying a small cargo of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula, and said they wanted to raise international awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel's foreign ministry said that the tiny amount of aid on the boat that was, as they put it, "not consumed by the celebrities," will be transferred to Gaza through, quote, "real humanitarian channels." Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the enclave in 2007. Israel says it aims to stop weapons from reaching Hamas. In March, Israel imposed a total blockade of all supplies reaching Gaza, which the UN says has pushed the population to the brink of famine. In recent weeks, Israel has allowed limited food supplies to be distributed by a new Israeli-backed group. ♦ Sly Stone, a one-time San Francisco DJ turned pop and funk music innovator, has died. Stone went on to see chart-topping success in the '60s and '70s, though he was later plagued by homelessness and health issues. He also went through financial problems amid management disputes, at one point, winning a five-million-dollar judgment for unpaid royalties that was later overturned. Reports at one stage of his life indicated he was living in a van in Los Angeles. And yet, he and his trendsetting, multiracial, multi-gendered Bay Area band, the Family Stone never stopped being a touchstone for generations of musicians. You can read more about Sly's life and legacy with a link in today's show notes. Sly Stone was 82. ♦ Thanks for listening to The Excerpt. You can get the podcast wherever you get your audio. And as always, you can find us at podcasts@ if you want to shoot us an email, I'm Taylor Wilson, I'll be back tomorrow with more of The Excerpt from USA TODAY.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store