Latest news with #Barakat
The Irish Sun
7 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Brit pilot jailed in ex-Soviet hell prison could be freed after ex-wife's ‘chilling confession to killing baby' emerges
A BRIT pilot jailed for murder in a hellhole ex-Soviet prison could be freed after his ex-wife 'confessed' to killing their baby daughter. Mohamed Barakat, 46, is 10 Mohamed Barakat is pictured on his wedding day with his ex-wife Madina Abdullayeva Credit: East2West 10 Barakat is serving 20 years over the death of daughter Sophia Credit: East2West 10 Madina was the main prosecution witness at the trial Credit: East2West 10 Madina is seen on hotel CCTV calling for help Credit: East2West Bombshell recordings have now emerged of Madina Abdullayeva, 28, apparently admitting to unintentionally causing the death of her daughter Sophia. Barakat was sentenced in 2020 after a judge ruled he But the chilling audio which has been newly uncovered could mean the commercial pilot, who flew for a subsidiary of Hong Kong Airlines, could be freed or face a retrial. Madina was the main prosecution witness at his trial in Read more about crime here Barakat received a maximum sentence under the criminal code because of the "aggravating circumstance' of committing the murder 'in a state of alcoholic and drug intoxication', said the appeal court. The country's prosecutor's office recently triggered an investigation 'on newly discovered circumstances', namely a confession by the pilot's glamorous ex-wife that she killed the baby. Detailed analysis including a 'forensic video-phonoscopy examination' reveals the confession to be Madina's voice, the pilot's legal representatives have been informed. It also found there was no tampering of the WhatsApp recording. Most read in The Sun The pilot himself recorded his ex-wife from inside his prison. 'I kill her….,' Madina is accused of posting, in evidence now being examined by police. 'I know you did,' replied the pilot, who has always maintained his innocence and previously claimed that his wife accidentally killed the child on 24 October 2019, but blamed him. Madin allegedly said on the recorded call to Barakat how she broke Sophia's neck at the hotel in Almaty. 'I left…and then when I come back, she is awake and crying because she's hungry. 'I start to feed her. And then she start to poo… 'And I try to wash her bum. And when I wash her, I break her neck…' She also told him she wanted to have another child with him. In a video made by privately-schooled Barakat, he said of her 'confession': 'Two days ago, we had another argument. 'I told her I would never have another baby with her until she told me what happened to my daughter, Sophia Barakat. 10 Barakat received a maximum sentence Credit: East2West 10 The courts ruled that Madina had been beaten by her husband Credit: East2West 10 Barakat was sentenced in 2020 after a judge ruled he smashed his "smiling" baby during a drunken drug-fuelled hotel rampage Credit: East2West 'And here you can see, she wrote 'Call me please'. 'And then, she writes 'I kill her'. In later conversations, Madina repeatedly asks him to 'forgive me'. These accounts are startlingly different from the version accepted by judges at the pilot's trial and appeal. The courts ruled that Madina had been beaten by her husband - despite no evidence she had any injuries - and left their hotel room after which he killed the child. The wife then opened the door and picked up the motionless girl, rushing down to the hotel lobby, where she was seen on security cameras. Madina had shouted: 'He killed my child, he hit her,' according to one hotel staff member. Hotel workers said the baby was 'blue'. Earlier they remembered the British girl as 'always smiling' during the family's stay at the Intercontinental Hotel in Almaty. The wife collapsed several times in the lobby as staff called medics who found the baby to be dead. 10 In later conversations, Madina repeatedly asks him to 'forgive me' Credit: East2West 10 The pilot was said by the judge to be drunk and under the influence of drugs Credit: East2West 10 Mohamed Barakat, 46, is serving a 20-year sentence Credit: East2West There are a host of other inconsistencies regarding the verdict. In turning down an appeal by the pilot, three women judges in 2021 ruled that 'the guilt of the convict [Barakat] was proved by the testimony of a witness - a hotel maid - that she heard the sounds of banging on the wall, after which the crying of the child immediately fell silent'. The judges said: 'More than ten witnesses testified that they saw the woman [Madina] with the child in her arms, who ran to the reception and reported that her drunken husband had killed her child.' Yet law enforcement broke their own rules in using photographs not the corpse to establish fatal wounds. Based on these errors, the court found Sophia died from 'multiple impacts…caused by repeated blows' - namely from Barakat banging his child's head repeatedly against the walls or doors, smashing the child's brain. The pilot was said by the judge to be drunk and under the influence of drugs yet astonishingly no drugs were found in his blood or urine, according to documents in the case. The only evidence of drug use was a toxicology test showing traces of THC in vomit from the hotel mattress, yet the centre has dismissed use of such evidence as unreliable. 'CCTV shows him walking steadily into the hotel, handing balloons to his daughter, and carrying her. Hotel staff said he did not appear drunk,' said his lawyer Din-Mukhamed Narymbetov. Additionally, Madina was the main prosecution witness based on evidence she gave in the aftermath of the killing. 'Her statements were obtained with procedural violations, and she eventually retracted them,' said the lawyer. Barakat said after obtaining his ex-wife's 'confession': 'Madina knows I am innocent. My family knows I'm innocent. The lawyers who stood with me - they know I'm innocent.' He must now wait for the Kazakh authorities to decide on the next legal steps. Asked to comment, Madina Abdullayeva said: 'I am not going to answer these questions.'
Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Brit pilot jailed in ex-Soviet hell prison could be freed after ex-wife's ‘chilling confession to killing baby' emerges
'I BREAK HER NECK' Brit pilot jailed in ex-Soviet hell prison could be freed after ex-wife's 'chilling confession to killing baby' emerges Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BRIT pilot jailed for murder in a hellhole ex-Soviet prison could be freed after his ex-wife 'confessed' to killing their baby daughter. Mohamed Barakat, 46, is serving a 20-year sentence in a high security jail in Kazakhstan but has always maintained his innocence. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 Mohamed Barakat is pictured on his wedding day with his ex-wife Madina Abdullayeva Credit: East2West 10 Barakat is serving 20 years over the death of daughter Sophia Credit: East2West 10 Madina was the main prosecution witness at the trial Credit: East2West 10 Madina is seen on hotel CCTV calling for help Credit: East2West Bombshell recordings have now emerged of Madina Abdullayeva, 28, apparently admitting to unintentionally causing the death of her daughter Sophia. Barakat was sentenced in 2020 after a judge ruled he smashed his "smiling" baby during a drunken drug-fuelled hotel rampage, crushing her head against a wall. But the chilling audio which has been newly uncovered could mean the commercial pilot, who flew for a subsidiary of Hong Kong Airlines, could be freed or face a retrial. Madina was the main prosecution witness at his trial in Kazakhstan. Read more about crime here 'MURDER' PROBE Man in his 60s arrested on suspicion of murdering elderly woman in village Barakat received a maximum sentence under the criminal code because of the "aggravating circumstance' of committing the murder 'in a state of alcoholic and drug intoxication', said the appeal court. The country's prosecutor's office recently triggered an investigation 'on newly discovered circumstances', namely a confession by the pilot's glamorous ex-wife that she killed the baby. Detailed analysis including a 'forensic video-phonoscopy examination' reveals the confession to be Madina's voice, the pilot's legal representatives have been informed. It also found there was no tampering of the WhatsApp recording. The pilot himself recorded his ex-wife from inside his prison. 'I kill her….,' Madina is accused of posting, in evidence now being examined by police. 'I know you did,' replied the pilot, who has always maintained his innocence and previously claimed that his wife accidentally killed the child on 24 October 2019, but blamed him. Madin allegedly said on the recorded call to Barakat how she broke Sophia's neck at the hotel in Almaty. 'I left…and then when I come back, she is awake and crying because she's hungry. 'I start to feed her. And then she start to poo… 'And I try to wash her bum. And when I wash her, I break her neck…' She also told him she wanted to have another child with him. In a video made by privately-schooled Barakat, he said of her 'confession': 'Two days ago, we had another argument. 'I told her I would never have another baby with her until she told me what happened to my daughter, Sophia Barakat. 10 Barakat received a maximum sentence Credit: East2West 10 The courts ruled that Madina had been beaten by her husband Credit: East2West 10 Barakat was sentenced in 2020 after a judge ruled he smashed his "smiling" baby during a drunken drug-fuelled hotel rampage Credit: East2West 'And here you can see, she wrote 'Call me please'. 'And then, she writes 'I kill her'. In later conversations, Madina repeatedly asks him to 'forgive me'. These accounts are startlingly different from the version accepted by judges at the pilot's trial and appeal. The courts ruled that Madina had been beaten by her husband - despite no evidence she had any injuries - and left their hotel room after which he killed the child. The wife then opened the door and picked up the motionless girl, rushing down to the hotel lobby, where she was seen on security cameras. Madina had shouted: 'He killed my child, he hit her,' according to one hotel staff member. Hotel workers said the baby was 'blue'. Earlier they remembered the British girl as 'always smiling' during the family's stay at the Intercontinental Hotel in Almaty. The wife collapsed several times in the lobby as staff called medics who found the baby to be dead. 10 In later conversations, Madina repeatedly asks him to 'forgive me' Credit: East2West 10 The pilot was said by the judge to be drunk and under the influence of drugs Credit: East2West 10 Mohamed Barakat, 46, is serving a 20-year sentence Credit: East2West There are a host of other inconsistencies regarding the verdict. In turning down an appeal by the pilot, three women judges in 2021 ruled that 'the guilt of the convict [Barakat] was proved by the testimony of a witness - a hotel maid - that she heard the sounds of banging on the wall, after which the crying of the child immediately fell silent'. The judges said: 'More than ten witnesses testified that they saw the woman [Madina] with the child in her arms, who ran to the reception and reported that her drunken husband had killed her child.' Yet law enforcement broke their own rules in using photographs not the corpse to establish fatal wounds. Based on these errors, the court found Sophia died from 'multiple impacts…caused by repeated blows' - namely from Barakat banging his child's head repeatedly against the walls or doors, smashing the child's brain. The pilot was said by the judge to be drunk and under the influence of drugs yet astonishingly no drugs were found in his blood or urine, according to documents in the case. The only evidence of drug use was a toxicology test showing traces of THC in vomit from the hotel mattress, yet the centre has dismissed use of such evidence as unreliable. 'CCTV shows him walking steadily into the hotel, handing balloons to his daughter, and carrying her. Hotel staff said he did not appear drunk,' said his lawyer Din-Mukhamed Narymbetov. Additionally, Madina was the main prosecution witness based on evidence she gave in the aftermath of the killing. 'Her statements were obtained with procedural violations, and she eventually retracted them,' said the lawyer. Barakat said after obtaining his ex-wife's 'confession': 'Madina knows I am innocent. My family knows I'm innocent. The lawyers who stood with me - they know I'm innocent.' He must now wait for the Kazakh authorities to decide on the next legal steps. Asked to comment, Madina Abdullayeva said: 'I am not going to answer these questions.'
Daily News Egypt
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Mali says Islamic State militant linked to 9/11 killed in northeastern operation
Mali's armed forces said on Saturday they had killed a senior figure in the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), identifying him as a convicted al Qaeda affiliate who had previously served prison time in Spain for his links to the September 11, 2001 attacks. In a statement, the military said the operation took place in the northeastern region of the country, where troops engaged the militant and his bodyguard during a targeted mission based on intelligence reports. The two were killed in a brief clash while reportedly pressuring local populations as part of a forced recruitment campaign. The militant was identified as Imad Eddin Barakat, also known as Abou Dahdah, a Spanish national born in Syria. He had previously been convicted by a Spanish court for his association with the 9/11 plot and his links to al Qaeda. Barakat was sentenced to 27 years in prison, though the term was later reduced to 12 years Mali says Islamic State militant linked to 9/11 killed in northeastern operation According to Malian and regional security sources, Barakat later joined ISGS, a group that has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. In his role, he acted as both an ideologue and a technical expert in suicide bombings and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and was reportedly connected to the Banibango attack in Niger earlier this year. Security officials said Barakat's presence in Mali was part of a broader effort by ISGS to radicalize and mobilize communities in remote areas of the Sahel in order to expand its operational base. 'This figure was not just symbolic; he was central to the group's strategy of indoctrination and recruitment,' a spokesperson for a local pro-government militia told Reuters. ISGS, which emerged as an offshoot of the Islamic State's global network, remains active across parts of Mali where government forces have limited reach. The Malian army, which has been engaged in a years-long fight against Islamist insurgents, has stepped up operations in the country's volatile northern and central regions. The killing of Barakat marks a high-profile success for the Malian military, though security analysts warn that ISGS remains resilient, with deep local networks and access to arms and funding across porous borders
Memri
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Designated Terrorist Khaled Barakat Of PFLP, Samidoun, And Masar Badil Lauds 'Heroic' Pro-Palestinian Shooter Who Targeted Washington DC Event For Jewish Professionals, Killing Two Israeli Embassy Emp
On May 29, 2025, Designated Terrorist and Canadian citizen Khaled Barakat published an article on the website of his organization, Masar Badil, lauding Elias Rodriguez, the pro-Palestinian activist who targeted a Washington DC event for young Jewish professionals in a shooting attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum which killed a young couple who were employees of the Israeli Embassy. In the article, which was also published in Arabic in the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper, Barakat praised Rodriguez for his "heroic operation", emphasizing that "today's battle is not confined to Gaza or the West Bank, but includes the diaspora as well", and calling for "the forces of the resistance and their allies" to "build on this moment", adding: "the battle is long and open to all possibilities, but clarity of vision and direction—as Rodriguez demonstrated—is the first condition for victory." Khaled Barakat (see MEMRI TV Clip No. 11905 Canadian-Palestinian PFLP Senior Official Khaled Barakat: The Problem Is Not Israel, It Is America; Israel Is Merely Guarding American Interests In The Region; 'America Is The Plague', March 19, 2025) Khaled Barakat is the founder of both Samidoun and Masar Badil, the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, and a member of the latter's executive committee. He has been identified by the U.S. government as a senior member of the PFLP. He is also designated terrorist by the U.S. and Canada.[1] A Canadian citizen, Barakat has been residing in Beirut for several months after being designated in Canada in October 2024. Khaled Barakat's article on the Masar Badil website ( Barakat previously expressed support for the shooting attack on his social media accounts, as did his wife and international coordinator of Samidoun, Charlotte Kates. The following is the text of Barakat's article praising the Washinton D.C. attacker and inciting further attacks. "The Operation Carried Out By The Feda'i [Fighter] Elias Rodriguez Was Not A Passing Event... [It] Was A Natural And Legitimate Response" "The operation carried out by the feda'i Elias Rodriguez was not a passing event or an act isolated from the current political and strategic context. Rather, it marked a pivotal moment in clarifying positions and exposing contradictions—especially in the international arenas where solidarity movements with the Palestinian people are active. Occurring amid one of the fiercest phases of the genocidal war waged by the Zionist entity against the Gaza Strip for more than twenty months, the operation was a natural and legitimate response to this brutal aggression and an echo of the voice of resistance that remains alive and deeply rooted in the conscience of free peoples. The revolutionary intellectual and martyr Ghassan Kanafani (1936–1972) was the foremost theorist of revolutionary violence in confronting imperialism and Zionism. Kanafani's link to armed struggle was not romantic but was tightly bound to his political thought, his convictions, and the approach whose logical and moral coherence he defended until the moment of his martyrdom. This practical, organic connection was among the chief reasons for his assassination. Kanafani also waged an unrelenting intellectual struggle against those—whether Palestinians, Arabs, or others—who opposed "external operations." The author of the dictum "behind the enemy everywhere" continually affirmed, up to the moment of his assassination, that there is neither separation nor contradiction between the actions of the fedayeen in Palestine and across its borders and "external operations," so long as the political strategy is unified and the enemy is one. Has the enemy camp changed today? Have its colonial policies changed, or have they grown even more savage? Rodriguez's "Heroic Operation" Revealed "Who Truly Stands With The Resistance And Who Hides Behind General Slogans" Rodriguez's heroic operation clarified that the "solidarity movement" with the Palestinian people is not a single current or unified vision, but rather a mixture of diverse forces: some believe in the path of resistance and the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea, while others have positioned themselves within liberal frameworks that confine the conflict to human rights discourse and the diplomatic arena, and practically call for what is termed the "two-state solution" as the only viable horizon for the Arab-Zionist conflict. This divergence is not new. It reflects the political and ideological contradictions that have always accompanied international solidarity movements, from the Algerian revolution to the support movements for the struggles in Vietnam, South Africa, Ireland, and others. In fact, it also reveals internal Palestinian contradictions—but that is a longer discussion… At the heart of this complex picture lies the importance of Rodriguez's operation. It was not only a security challenge to the U.S. security apparatus but also held up a mirror reflecting the reality of positions: who truly stands with the resistance, and who hides behind general slogans to promote a vision oscillating between nihilism and surrender. Many speak of "the Palestinian people's right to resist," yet they reject any actual, conscious practice of this right if it steps outside the bounds of discourse acceptable in the West, a discourse that often translates into calls for compromises and political concessions, foremost among them the promotion of the "two-state solution" and a "peace" that entails recognition of the Zionist entity's legitimacy and the surrender of Palestine—and of our minds as well. "There Are Those Who [Stand] Firmly And Clearly With The Resistance, Not Only As A Theoretical Concept, But As Practical Action" Conversely, there are those who stood firmly and clearly with the resistance, not only as a theoretical concept, but as practical action grounded in the principles of liberation, return, and the rejection of the occupation's legitimacy. These are the natural extension of Palestinian liberation movements around the world, who view the Palestinian struggle as part of a global front against colonialism, racism, and predatory and brutal capitalism. For this reason, we are witnessing the advance of radical labor, youth, student, and women's forces, while the trend of "conditional solidarity" is in retreat. Rodriguez's operation not only revealed the limits of liberal discourse; it also restored the value of direct action as a mobilizing and agitational tool, placing everyone before their responsibilities. The broad popular response to this operation, particularly among youth and within Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim communities, reveals that popular sentiment remains aligned with armed struggle and a revolutionary position on Palestine. The battle being waged by the Palestinian people is not confined to the West Bank and Gaza, but extends and expands globally within the framework of revolutionary struggle against imperialism, Zionism, and reactionary and fascist regimes. These differences, despite their sharpness, must not turn into a source of nihilistic discord; rather, they should be understood as part of the natural plurality within global liberation movements. Historically, solidarity movements with just causes have witnessed similar divergences, whether in supporting the Cuban revolution, the struggles of Latin America, or even positions on the resistance in Iraq and Lebanon. However, there is an urgent need to prevent the enemy from exploiting this "plurality," especially amid the genocide. The Zionists, through propaganda campaigns and political and legal pressures, seek to demonize all who support the resistance and its supporters, and to sow doubt and distrust within the ranks of solidarity activists in general. Our assessment is that the majority of the Palestinian people—inside the homeland and in the diaspora—especially in light of the massacres in Gaza, see the revival of feda'i action as a revolutionary necessity. They are calling for broader popular participation in supporting the resistance, whether political, financial, media, or cultural support, or through direct involvement. This is the popular cradle and the revolutionary driving force needed to halt the aggression, shift the balance of power, and achieve liberation. The greater the occupation's crimes, the deeper the conviction that there is no place for neutrality and that confronting the enemy has become a duty, not a choice. "Today's Battle Is Not Confined To Gaza Or The West Bank, But Includes The Diaspora As Well... The Forces Of The Resistance And Their Allies Must Build On This Moment" Today's battle is not confined to Gaza or the West Bank, but includes the diaspora as well. Therefore, Rodriguez's operation represents a cry in the face of the American system, and a message that resistance is not the preserve of geography, race, or color, but is an affiliation, an identity, and an ethical and political stance that allows for no compromise. In conclusion, the forces of resistance and their allies must build on this moment, broaden the circles of revolutionary dialogue with liberation movements on an international level, and safeguard their ranks against the Zionist campaigns that seek to isolate and defame the resisters. The battle is long and open to all possibilities, but clarity of vision and direction—as Rodriguez demonstrated—is the first condition for victory.
Web Release
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Web Release
BARAKAT'S GIVING AWAY FREE MOCKTAILS AND GIFTS THIS WEEKEND – HERE'S WHERE TO FIND THEM!
BARAKAT'S GIVING AWAY FREE MOCKTAILS AND GIFTS THIS WEEKEND – HERE'S WHERE TO FIND THEM! Get ready to sip, snap, and score! Barakat is transforming the UAE's most iconic hotspots into full-on flavor playgrounds this weekend with mocktail magic, stunning billboards, Instagrammable photo ops, and free mocktails galore. Kicking off at Kite Beach, Dubai on May 31, and continuing at Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi on June 1, the two-day takeover promises bold flavors, big fun, and even bigger giveaways. Barakat's jaw-dropping mocktail billboards will be turning heads and turning up the fun. Each location becomes an immersive celebration zone, where you can pose at vibrant photo stations, grab exciting freebies, and sample Barakat's premium ready-to-drink mocktail cans – from tangy Bellini to exotic Blue Lagoon, each drink bursts with fresh fruit flavors—no artificial syrups, just pure taste. What to expect? Free mocktail sampling stations Tons of Instagrammable moments Billboard pop-ups bursting with flavor & flair Non-stop giveaways and exclusive merch Whether you're chilling with friends or bringing the fam, it's the coolest way to beat the heat this weekend. Plus, you just might discover your new favorite Barakat flavor! Follow the buzz on social media @barakatme for behind-the-scenes action, sneak peeks, and more surprises leading up to the big weekend.
