LONDON: A former British school student who disappeared on a family holiday to Turkiye has pleaded guilty to traveling to Syria to join Daesh, years after claiming that he had spent his time in the country “playing computer games,” Sky News reported.
Shabazz Suleman, who used the name Abu Shamil Al-Britani, said that he volunteered for a Turkish NGO after disappearing aged 19 while on a family holiday in 2014, months before he was due to begin his studies at university.
But the former grammar school student was arrested by Turkish authorities and traded to Daesh in a prisoner swap, with the terror group releasing 47 detained Turkish diplomats as part of the exchange.
At first, Suleman appeared to be in favor of Daesh’s activities, posting a message of support for the perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo killings in early 2015.
He said: “There’s so many brothers just waiting for the order to do attacks on the West.”
Suleman also posted images of an alleged spy who had been beheaded and crucified by the group.
But later that year, after the former student had grown disillusioned with Daesh’s treatment of local Muslims, he was arrested and imprisoned in Raqqa.
After witnessing the torture and assault of fellow inmates, Suleman said that he “gave in” and offered to work for Daesh in exchange for his release.
That led to his employment within Daesh’s informal military police, which oversaw control of local populations in territory under the terror group’s control.
But he claimed in a 2017 interview with Sky News that his work consisted of sitting in an office, where he would play video games during work hours.
He then went into hiding, purchasing a PlayStation console and “watching Netflix, ‘House of Cards’ mostly” — all while living in Daesh-controlled territory.
Despite wanting to serve a prison sentence back in the UK in exchange for his return, Suleman was captured by anti-regime forces on the Syrian border in 2017.
He told Sky News at the time: “I take responsibility. I was with Daesh, I was with a terrorist organization. But I didn’t kill anyone, I hope I didn’t oppress anyone.
“I did have (a) Kalashnikov and a military uniform, but I didn’t hit anyone, I didn’t oppress anyone, if you understand.
“I was there with military police but, like I said, I was in the office.”
After being released, Suleman returned to the UK in late 2021 and was charged with a series of terror offenses.
Now 27, he pleaded guilty on April 14 to preparing acts of terrorism and was also charged with being a member of Daesh between 2014 and 2017, as well as receiving firearms training.
Sentencing in the case was adjourned until May 26.