UK: Islamic State Group Member Sentenced to 8 Years

Facts

• Aine Davis, a British man who joined the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria, was sentenced to eight years in prison after he pleaded guilty to firearms possession and fundraising for 'terrorism' on Monday, London’s Metropolitan Police said.¹
• Davis was linked by captives to an IS cell known as 'The Beatles,' so-called because of their English accents. The group allegedly guarded foreign hostages in Syria and kidnapped foreign journalists and aid workers, beheading some from the US.¹
• The 39-year-old was sentenced to six years in prison for a firearms offense and two years for terrorism funding between 2013 and 2014 at London's Old Bailey court. He was deported from Turkey last year after serving a prison sentence there for IS membership.²
• The evidence against Davis — who allegedly joined the Syrian conflict in 2013 — was mainly uncovered through his communications with his then-wife, whom he eventually enlisted in a plot to send him money. In 2014, she was sentenced to 28 months in prison for funding terrorism.²
• Davis, through a lawyer, apologized to the Syrian people because his presence in their country 'did more harm than good.' He stated he had 'misunderstood' his religious obligations and left Syria in early 2014 after witnessing 'atrocities,' the lawyer added.³
• Davis, a Muslim convert, always denied being part of 'The Beatles,' with some reports suggesting that British intelligence services no longer believe he was a member of the cell. However, he also knew Mohammed Emwazi, who became the group's executioner known as 'Jihadi John.'⁴

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²The Telegraph, ³Sky News and ⁴Metro.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Telegraph. Davis was the very definition of a terrorist, and his conviction is justified. He traveled abroad to join a designated terrorist organization, boasted about it in photos on social media, and urged those back home to send him money to support the cause. He must be imprisoned in the UK to pay for his misdeeds and to send a message to anyone considering following in his footsteps.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Guardian. The US wouldn’t take Davis' case because it didn’t have the evidence linking him to 'The Beatles.' Still, British-led suspicions about his connections led him to be mistreated in a Turkish jail. He served his time over there and shouldn't be forced to do so again for the same offenses in the UK. Davis is fully entitled to due process.