Al Qaeda-linked terrorist Bherlin Gildo has been jailed for four months in Sweden for international crimes committed in Syria which saw him pose with corpses.
His conviction comes seven years after a trial against him in the UK collapsed amid allegations Britain’s security and intelligence agencies would have been deeply embarrassed had it gone ahead.
Gildo, also known as Nathan Benoitzon, has been convicted of international law crimes by having, together with others, subjected several people from the opposing side in Syria to humiliating and degrading treatment, according to Swedish newspaper Expressen.
He is alleged to have posed for photographs and been filmed standing with his foot next to a severed head and in other images was seen pointing a gun at three men.
According to the prosecutor, the images were to be used as propaganda for the Al Qaeda-linked terror group, Kataib Al Muhajireen, of which Gildo is accused of being a member.
On Wednesday, the Blekinge district court found that Gildo acted criminally by posing with corpses or severely mutilated bodies in Syria between 2012 and 2013.
He has been sentenced to four months due to the timelapse between the commission of the crimes.
Gildo, who originally came from the Philippines to Sweden in 1992, was first arrested at London's Heathrow Airport in 2014 during a stopover on his way from Copenhagen to Manila.
The British police accused him of attending a terrorist training camp and receiving weapons training between August 31, 2012, and March 1, 2013, as well as possessing information likely to be useful to a terrorist.
But in 2015, the case was thrown out after the prosecution offered no evidence.
The terror charges related to weapons training and possessing terrorist materials, including a magazine called 44 Ways to Serve and Participate in Jihad.
The case collapsed after his defence successfully argued that it would have been an “affront to justice” to press ahead with the trial due to the possible involvement of MI6.
“If it is the case that HM government was actively involved in supporting armed resistance to the Assad regime at a time when the defendant was present in Syria and himself participating in such resistance, it would be unconscionable to allow the prosecution to continue,” his barrister Henry Blaxland said at the time.
His lawyers argued that British intelligence agencies were supporting the same Syrian opposition groups.
In September 2021, the Swedish security services took the decision to push ahead with prosecuting him.
During his trial, Gildo admitted being in Syria but claimed he was having a holiday.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
Brief scores:
Barcelona 3
Pique 38', Messi 51 (pen), Suarez 82'
Rayo Vallecano 1
De Tomas Gomez 24'
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