An asylum seeker who arrived in the UK by small boat has been jailed for posting videos in support of ISIS.
Hakan Barac, 28, came to the UK illegally but was in the process of applying for asylum when he was arrested by counter-terrorism police last year.
The Turkish national had been posting videos on social media sites, including Instagram and Telegram, glorifying ISIS and terrorists Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, Bristol Crown Court heard. The videos showed extremists preparing for martyrdom and also featured Saudi-born Canadian recruiter Mohammed Khalifa.
Barac, who was living in Newport, south Wales, was jailed for 45 months after previously pleading guilty to five counts relating to the online distribution of terrorist publications and one of expressing support for a proscribed organisation.
Passing sentence, judge Martin Picton said Barac had shared material glorifying "violent terrorism" and said he would be automatically referred for possible deportation. “Anybody posting material of this nature runs the risk of encouraging another to commit an act of terrorism,” he said.
"This is not a victimless crime and the maximum penalty, as well as the relevant sentencing guidelines, reflect that position. You are here seeking asylum but at the same time choose to disseminate material that strikes at the very heart of our democratic society.”
Prosecutor Ben Lloyd said the material found on Barac is “extreme in nature and depicts graphic violence" which demonstrates that “he is of an Islamic extremist mindset”.
"It was apparent that a substantial number of followers to his accounts were interested in extreme Islamic subject matters,” he said.
Detective Chief Inspector Leanne Williams, from Counter Terrorism Policing Wales, described Barac as “a dangerous individual” who “clearly expressed his support for the Islamic State”.
“It was our absolute priority to ensure the public were protected from him and the abhorrent rhetoric he espoused,” she said.
Tim Forte KC, defending, said Barac had pleaded guilty on the basis that 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."
The UK has seen a steady stream of migrants arriving by small boat since 2018. So far this year, UK authorities have recorded 6,796 making the crossing, compared to 5,517 over the same period in 2024.
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Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
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Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world
New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.
The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.
“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.
"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."
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