Hakan Barac, 28, a Turkish national who arrived in the UK by crossing the English Channel on a small boat, has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for supporting the terror group Isis. Barac, who was seeking asylum in the UK, was arrested by counter-terrorism police last year for sharing extremist material online.
Bristol Crown Court was informed that Barac had posted videos on social media platforms such as Instagram and Telegram, which glorified Isis, as well as terrorists Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The videos depicted jihadists preparing for martyrdom and featured other extremist figures, including Saudi-born Canadian recruiter Mohammed Khalifa.
Prosecutor Ben Lloyd stated that Barac’s social media followers were significantly interested in extreme Islamic topics, and the defendant recklessly shared these materials without concern for the potential consequences. He was accused of creating a serious risk of encouraging terrorist activities, even though it was not his direct intention.
The prosecution also noted that Barac’s online activity showed a clear escalation in the nature of material he shared, including content that was graphic and violent. Investigators discovered that Barac had entered the UK illegally on a small boat on April 22, 2023, and was in the process of seeking asylum at the time of his arrest.
Barac, of Commercial Road, Newport, South Wales, had previously pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing terrorist publications online and one count of expressing support for a proscribed organization.
In his defense, Tim Forte KC argued that Barac had no intention to assist or encourage terrorism and that his posts were seen by only a small number of followers, estimating the audience at just a hundred people. However, Judge Martin Picton pointed out that sharing such extremist material could still support violent terrorism and encourage others to commit violent acts.
Barac was sentenced to 45 months in prison, with the judge emphasizing that the sharing of terrorist propaganda has the potential to cause significant harm. Following his sentence, Barac will be considered for deportation.
Detective Chief Inspector Leanne Williams from Counter Terrorism Policing (CT) Wales welcomed the court’s decision, stating that Barac posed a serious threat to public safety, and the investigation was critical in protecting the public from the dangerous rhetoric he had spread.
