Extremist jailed for posting ISIS videos after arriving in UK by small boat

Hakan Barac, 28, was in the process of claiming asylum when he was arrested

Hakan Barac arrived by small boat but has now been jailed for glorifying ISIS. South Wales Police/PA Wire

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.