US and Nigerian forces carry out a joint operation against the commander, who was deemed a ‘global terrorist’ in 2023.
Published On 16 May 202616 May 2026
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, alleged to be the second-in-command of ISIL (ISIS) globally, has been killed in an operation conducted by United States and Nigerian forces, President Donald Trump said.
“Brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Friday.
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“Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.”
Trump also thanked the Nigerian government for its partnership in the operation, but did not provide further details.
Al-Minuki had been under US sanctions since 2023 for his links to ISIL.
When announcing al-Minuki’s designation on the list of “global terrorists”, the US State Department described him as a Sahel-based ISIL senior leader and part of its General Directorate of Provinces, the group’s administrative body that provides “operational guidance and funding around the world”.
“With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished,” Trump said.
Previous strike
For months, Trump has accused Nigeria of not doing enough to stop armed groups from targeting Christians in the country’s northwest.
Abuja has denied the charge and said that fighters target both Muslim and Christian communities in the country.
On Christmas Day last year, US forces carried out an air strike in Sokoto State that targeted ISIL fighters operating in the region.
The US has since deployed hundreds of troops to Nigeria to provide technical support and intelligence sharing in the fight against armed groups.
The US forces are playing a strictly noncombat role, Nigeria has said.
A criminal complaint unsealed on Friday in a Manhattan federal court accuses Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, 32, of involvement in at least 18 attacks and attempted attacks spanning the United States, Canada, and Europe.
The United States Department of Justice has arrested and charged an Iraqi national alleged to be a senior commander of an Iran-backed armed group that is said to have orchestrated a wave of international terror attacks.
A criminal complaint unsealed on Friday in a Manhattan federal court accuses Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, 32, of involvement in at least 18 attacks and attempted attacks spanning the US, Canada, and Europe.
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According to US court filings, the attacks were carried out to compel the US and Israel to halt their recent military actions against Iran.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that agency personnel arrested al-Saadi, whom he described as “another high-value target responsible for mass global terrorism”. Al-Saadi was arrested overseas and brought to the US. Patel called the arrest the latest success in the administration’s “historic work to bring terrorists to justice”.
In a post on X, Patel praised the tracking and capture as a “righteous mission executed brilliantly” by agents and tactical units, while extending special credit to US Ambassador Tom Barrack in Turkiye for leading the joint operation to bring the suspect home.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch added that the case “puts into stark relief the global threats posed by the Iranian regime and its proxies”.
Who is Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi?
Federal prosecutors identify al-Saadi as a high-level leader within Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraq-based fighter group designated by the US as a “foreign terrorist organisation”.
The FBI states that al-Saadi has been an active member of the group since at least 2017, working closely with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to advance its regional operations.
Investigators say al-Saadi maintained personal relationships with top-tier military leaders, including the late IRGC-Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, and openly used the Snapchat and Telegram platforms to promote their agendas and celebrate bombings.
Following the start of the military conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran in late February 2026, prosecutors allege al-Saadi became a central figure in coordinating international retaliation through a front group to activate cells – frequently using teenage suspects – across Europe and Canada.
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, right, with Qassem Soleimani, former commander of Iran’s IRGC Quds Force [File: US District Court for the Southern District of New York/AP]
What is he accused of?
The complaint outlines a violent trail of international plots directed by al-Saadi, including the mid-March firebombing of a Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam, a shooting at the US consulate in Toronto, and a stabbing in London that wounded an American citizen.
French police also thwarted an attack he allegedly coordinated against a Bank of America office in Paris, discovering a homemade petrol and firework bomb packed with 0.65kg (23oz) of explosives, The Associated Press news agency reported.
Last month, al-Saadi turned his attention to US soil. Working with an FBI informant and an undercover law enforcement officer, al-Saadi allegedly offered $10,000 in cryptocurrency to launch simultaneous attacks on a New York City synagogue and Jewish centres in California and Arizona, according to the AP.
Court documents note that al-Saadi told the informant he was “willing to kill people”, and sent a text message to the undercover officer after making a $3,000 crypto down-payment, stating: “I wanna see good news tonight … not tomorrow bro.”
The Charges and Next Steps
Al-Saadi appeared in a Manhattan federal court on Friday, where he was hit with a six-count criminal complaint. The specific federal charges include:
Two counts of conspiracy to provide material support to foreign terrorist organisations (Kataib Hezbollah and the IRGC).
Conspiracy to provide material support for acts of terrorism.
Provision of material support for acts of terrorism.
Conspiracy to bomb a place of public use.
Destruction of property by means of fire or explosives.
According to the AP, al-Saadi smiled throughout the initial hearing but did not speak. He was not required to enter a plea and will remain jailed for the time being, though he retains the right to request a bail hearing.
Through his defence lawyer, Andrew Dalack, al-Saadi claimed he is a “political prisoner” and a “prisoner of war”, arguing that the US government is persecuting him solely because of his past ties to Soleimani.
Dalack noted that al-Saadi has been kept in solitary confinement since arriving at a federal jail in Brooklyn on Thursday night, calling the treatment “unusual”.
If the government secures a conviction on these terrorism and explosives counts, al-Saadi faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
UK insurers are more hesitant to cover some hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) from China than cars from other countries, research suggests.
While some drivers can save money by buying cars made in China, they may have more limited options to get insurance than those buying electric, hybrid and petrol cars from Europe, the US and South Korea.
And when policies are available, they can sometimes cost almost twice as much as those for similar petrol vehicles from outside China.
Chinese brands such as BYD, XPeng and Jaecoo have become increasingly common on UK roads. In March this year, the Jaecoo 7 was the UK’s bestselling new car. Nicknamed the “Temu Range Rover”, it comes as a hybrid and a petrol vehicle.
However, figures from sales site Carwow show that sourcing insurance may take some of the sheen off buying a Chinese car. In its survey, half of the requests for quotes were declined.
It took four models – the hybrid Jaecoo 7, the XPeng G6, the BYD Seal U and the Skywell BE11 – and asked five insurers for quotes for a 27-year-old man living in Hampshire.
Axa declined to give quotes on any of the vehicles, while Hastings Direct only offered coverage on the BYD. Direct Line declined two vehicles and Admiral one, while only Aviva offered cover for all, according to Carwow.
Only Admiral and Aviva would cover the XPeng G6, at an average cost of £936 a year – higher than a petrol Hyundai Kona. Photograph: Jasper Jolly/The Guardian
Iain Reid of Carwow says that more limited options for cover mean that drivers of Chinese cars have less ability to shop around and get more competitive quotes.
“For some motorists, this could make some models impossible to insure at all,” he says.
“Insurers are still building up repair data, parts supply chains and long-term claims histories for many of these newer models, which is making some providers cautious,” he adds.
The research suggests insuring some EV or hybrid cars will cost a lot more than a similar non-Chinese vehicle with a petrol engine.
The average cost of covering the Jaecoo 7 was £1,103 a year – almost twice what it would cost to cover a Skoda Karoq (£577), an SUV picked by Carwow as a petrol equivalent.
Only Admiral and Aviva would cover the XPeng, at an average cost of £936 a year – well above the figure for the petrol equivalent Hyundai Kona (£639).
Cover for the BYD Seal U cost an average of 876 compared with £730 for a petrol Kia Sportage. Photograph: John Keeble/Getty Images
Aviva was the only company to offer cover for the Skywell (£685) in the study, but that was more than the premium for a petrol Ford Kuga at £638. Insurance for the BYD vehicle cost an average of £876 compared with £730 for a petrol Kia Sportage.
Stephen Kennedy of the financial information service Defaqto says EVs tend to be more expensive to repair after crashes, and that insurers may not have enough data on the new vehicles to price policies yet.
“It’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation. If they haven’t sold policies for these types of vehicles, they don’t have the data to be able to work out how much they should be charging,” he says.
Reid says that while costs may fall in the future, this is little comfort for the many drivers who are trying to insure their new vehicles now.
“It’s still harder to get insurance quotes for newer Chinese models than for more established European and Japanese alternatives,” he says. “On paper, Chinese cars come in at an average of £901 a year to insure – about £255 more than equivalent petrol models at £646. But the bigger issue isn’t just price; it’s availability.”
Car sales rose in April, with nearly a quarter more sold compared with a year ago. There were large rises in the number of registrations of Chinese brands such as BYD and Jaecoo, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
A spokesperson for Hastings Direct says it looks at how straightforward it is to repair a car, how safe it is and what the demand for it is when assessing a quote. It covers some Chinese brands, but “some newer brands are still relatively low‑volume in the UK, and their parts supply chains are still developing”.
Chinese brands such as BYD, XPeng and Jaecoo have become more common on UK roads. Photograph: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters
Axa, which did not provide any quotes in the Carwow study, says some Chinese brands are new to the market and it does not have enough data to cover them.
According to Aviva, which acquired Direct Line last year, it reviews pricing as more data becomes available.
Admiral says insurance prices have risen over recent years but that it has not increased EV premiums more than those for petrol cars. “We continue to try to provide accurately and competitively priced cover for EV drivers.” It says it does cover Skywell vehicles.
The Association of British Insurers says that when there is little claims history, it is more difficult for companies to evaluate risk.
Oliver Lowe, the head of product at Omoda and Jaecoo UK, says the company is working closely with insurers. “Anything that’s risk-based is slow to change and adapt to new challenges very quickly. That’s completely understandable. It’s risk for them. We have an expert team that are working on all fronts to reduce those insurance costs.”
He adds: “Insurers are still building up repair data, parts supply chains and long-term claims histories for many of these newer models, which is making some providers cautious. We saw similar concerns when Japanese and [South] Korean brands first arrived in the UK market, and insurance availability and pricing should improve as Chinese manufacturers become more established on British roads.”
A record number of people in the UK are turning to crowdfunding to cover rent and household bills, with GoFundMe reporting more rent-related fundraisers were created in April than in any month on record.
The platform said donations towards rent support had risen by 60% since 2022, with more than 100,000 people a month contributing to help others meet their housing costs.
“We have seen a remarkable surge in people turning to GoFundMe for help keeping a roof over their heads,” a spokesperson said. “Every donation is a sign that when someone finds the courage to ask for help, their community shows up for them.”
Andrew Foster, 51, turned to GoFundMe after his landlord in Derby raised his rent by 50%, – an increase he was unable to afford and which forced him to move.
Foster makes and sells miniature figurines, but his income fell by 40% after Brexit curtailed his ability to sell abroad. He is also a full-time carer for his wife, who has complex mental health conditions, and had to give up work.
“The only way I could find the funds to cover the move was to turn to GoFundMe, although I had to take out a loan as well,” he said. “I just feltI didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t borrow the amount of money that I needed from friends or family.
“It was very much throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. I didn’t really expect anything to come of it.”
Andrew Foster: ‘I just felt I didn’t have a choice.’
He said the fundraiser was “phenomenally successful” and he had been blown away by the donations he received, with the largest single sum being £300. Foster has since continued fundraising page sporadically to help cover large one-off costs, including car maintenance or loan repayments.
“Sometimes it’s been the difference between going over the overdraft and not going over overdraft,” he said. “It’s depressing and humiliating – the first thing you have to swallow is your pride and just get out there and ask.
“I’d much rather be in a position where I was on GoFundMe to give other people money. If I won the lottery I’d track down some of these people and give them their money back.”
The number of children living in homeless temporary accommodation in England has reached a record high, while rough sleeping has also soared. Housing charities have said an increasing number of people are struggling to pay their rent.
Data obtained through a freedom of information request showed that more than 300,000 families a year in England and Wales formally applied to their local council for discretionary housing payments – emergency grants to help with rent and deposits – between 2021-22 and 2023-24.
The number of application refusals has risen 40% in three years, from about 96,000 in 2021-22 to more than 134,000 in 2023-24.
Nick Jardine, 56, turned to GoFundMe after he, his mother and brother were served a section 21 “no fault” eviction notice on their home in Cornwall last year, not long after Jardine became disabled after a tumour on his spine.
With a shortage of council housing in the area, it looked as though Jardine’s mother would be placed in temporary accommodation and Jardine in a care facility, owing to his physical disabilities, unless they could come up with the money for private rented accommodation.
“It was a final-straw situation. I’ve funded other people on GoFundMe, from helping local pubs to stay open to small children being flown, so I just thought let’s give it a go and see what happens,” he said.
“It was an honest enough campaign. I’m not working, so I can’t earn money; then we’re being evicted and it was just snowballing. It was really a last-gasp effort.”
The family raised more than £5,500, which they will use for a rental deposit and to repay debts after their eviction notice has made its way through the courts.
Jardine said: “It was unbelievable. Some of the donations came from people we didn’t know at all, so that was quite overwhelming. But it’s not really how it should be, because what you’re ending up with is society having to pay for itself. It makes you think: what are the government actually doing to help us?”
Tayla Hopkins, 33, has used GoFundMe to help pay the service charge on their shared-ownership Birmingham flat, which soared from £800 to £4,600 a year, while struggling with their physical and mental health.
Tayla Hopkins: ‘I’ve never found it easy to ask for help.’
In just a few weeks, they raised £2,421, and have been inundated with messages from friends and strangers offering support.
“I was questioning myself and whether I should be asking for help, whether it was valid. I have a lot of shame around the debt that I’m in,” they said. “I’ve never found it easy to ask for help. I don’t think we live in a world where it’s the done thing.
“But going through that process of having to swallow your pride and ask for help and then realising how loved and supported you are, is very overwhelming.”
Hopkins hoped the fundraising would also raise awareness of the problems facing people trapped in shared ownership schemes, where rising costs have left many people facing financial difficulties.
“It was only really by going through this process that I was able to fully appreciate that, hang on, I bought this place under a government affordable housing scheme and the joke of it to now be in this position,” they said.
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Entertainment Desk, Amar Ujala
Published by: Jyoti Raghav
Updated Sat, 16 May 2026 11:54 AM IST
Huma Qureshi at Cannes 2026: Actress Huma Qureshi has arrived to participate in the Cannes Film Festival. Her beautiful look has come to light. The actress is seen wearing Banarasi saree.
Huma Qureshi
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Cannes Film Festival is going on. It started from May 12 and will continue till May 23. Many Indian stars are also continuously making their presence felt in this prestigious film festival. Bollywood actress Huma Qureshi has also reached there. Yesterday she was seen in boss lady avatar in a black outfit. At the same time, today she is seen wearing Banarasi saree.
“Yeah, I do feel [sorry for him],” said Jeremy Corbyn, with only a little hesitation. “On a personal level it must be devastating. It is a horrible feeling. You suddenly realise that this person doesn’t trust you at all and really doesn’t wish you well at all, and you suddenly realise that any trust that was there actually disappears.”
There are few in politics who have had the experience of being the subject of a Labour party-style coup, the British equivalent of being dragged from your office to be put up against a wall. Letters of resignations from so-called political friends, condemnatory statements on social media, all dripped out for maximum effect with the end goal of pushing the target, once the subject of standing ovations and gushing plaudits, out on their tail.
Keir Starmer has had it this week. Tony Blair endured a rather mild version of it in 2006, and the ousting of Boris Johnson in 2022 was a proper all-party effort. But for the real deal in Labour history it is to Corbyn, leader from 2015 to 2019, that one must look.
Keir Starmer leaves Downing Street on 13 May with his wife, Victoria, whom he has described as ‘his rock’. Photograph: WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
It was on the evening of Saturday 25 June in 2016, a couple of days after the EU referendum, that Corbyn’s ordeal began. The Observer reported online that the Labour leader’s shadow foreign secretary was busy plotting a mass walk-out at the top of the party. “That was the one that was rather rapidly brought to my attention,” Corbyn said. “I immediately phoned Hilary [Benn] and didn’t succeed getting hold of him for the whole evening and finally spoke to him at one in the morning. I said, this story in the Observer, is it true?”
Benn confirmed that it was. “So I said, that makes your position absolutely untenable, that’s the end of it,” recalled Corbyn. “He said: ‘So you’re dismissing me?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ And that was it and I then called Seumas [Milne, Corbyn’s press secretary] to immediately put out a statement. And that was the start of it.”
Throughout Sunday, Corbyn took calls and letters from party colleagues telling them that they were leaving his shadow team. There were an unprecedented 21 resignations. “I was sort of ticking them off,” said Corbyn with a dry laugh. “Some were blunt and rude, some pleasant. In the afternoon, I went to the allotment. I got a few resignations in the allotment. I wrote them down and made notes at home: so I could call them the potato rebel, the beetroot rebel. It was a very, very intense period.”
Jeremy Corbyn in 2019 with his wife, Laura Alvarez, who ‘was really angry about the whole thing’. Photograph: Sean Smith/The Guardian
A meeting of the parliamentary Labour party on Monday was “very rough, horrendous really. Basically, an hour of abuse thrown at me,” recalled Corbyn. “‘You should get out of the way, you brought all this on us, you brought all this on yourself.’ It was all personal and very, very abusive, not that I particularly care, because these things don’t worry me very much, but others got very upset by it.”
A motion of no confidence was passed by 172 to 40. Corbyn took the piece of paper bearing the result, folded it and put it in his draw, he recalled. He was not going to budge. But it was difficult, Corbyn admitted, not to take such a show of rejection personally. “It is [overwhelming]. You think, ‘Wow this is a big deal.’ Various friends rang up. Len [McCluskey, the then leader of the Unite union] for example said: ‘This is a coup against you and all of us. There is only one way to go, that’s fight it.’ I said: ‘I am not resigning.’ I was elected with a clear majority and it was up to the members to decide.”
During the recent storm, Starmer has described his wife, Victoria, as his “rock”. Corbyn, too, said that his wife, Laura Alvarez, was a vital steadying influence. “She is from Mexico and she thinks Britain is more corrupt than Mexico – in Mexico it is just more obvious,” said Corbyn. “She was really angry about the whole thing, really wound up by it. Absolute total support, as with my sons, and all of the wider family. My ex-wife comes from Chile, she just said: ‘It’s a coup, stop them. We have seen coups before.’”
Angela Rayner, centre, with Starmer and Burnham at a school in Ashton, Greater Manchester, on 11 May. Photograph: Paul Ellis/PA
Corbyn, who later beat the challenger, Owen Smith, by 61.8% to 38.2% of the membership, said he had taken succour during the crisis from shows of mass support. After the parliamentary Labour party meeting, thousands had assembled to cheer him on outside the gates of Westminster palace.
Starmer was seen on Monday, where he gave a speech that he hoped would rally the party to his side. It instead galvanised his newfound opponents in the party, who claimed it was more evidence of his lack of political touch and bravery. The prime minister has maintained a low-profile since.
It might be that he had been advised to hide away, said Corbyn, who is today the parliamentary leader of Your Party after the Labour party’s ban on him standing for Starmer’s party in the 2024 general election. But Starmer would be better to make himself seen and to make his case, Corbyn suggested. “There’s a temptation [to go into the bunker] because you’re always full of advisers, and sometimes the advice is contradictory,” he said.
Corbyn said Wes Streeting’s problem ‘was [giving contracts to] Palantir and privatisation of the NHS’. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
“It is nearly always well meant, but it can be quite irritating and sometimes you have to do things instinctively rather than necessarily calculating to the end. If you’ve got instinct to do something, do it. You might get in trouble later on but at least you have been true to yourself.”
The runners and riders in a possible leadership election seem clear. Wes Streeting, has resigned as health secretary, saying that Starmer will not lead the party into the next general election. Andy Burnham has found a parliamentary seat in which he intends to stand in a byelection ahead of a leadership bid. The former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has told the world in a timely manner that she has been cleared of wrongdoing in relation to her underpayment of tax. “I wouldn’t vote for any of them,” said Corbyn.
Rayner is on the “trade union right of the party and so I think she will tend to pivot into that”, Corbyn said. “Whether she will get the numbers to be nominated, I am not sure,” he added, with reference for the need for each candidate to attain the support of 80 Labour MPs. “She is effective at public speaking, but she does have some, I think, issues on the policies that she will put forward.”
Corbyn said Burnham had a chance, but a byelection win in Makerfield, in Greater Manchester, was not a ‘shoo-in’. Photograph: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters
Burnham has a chance, said Corbyn, but a byelection win in Makerfield, in Greater Manchester, was not a “shoo-in”. As with Rayner, his support for more defence expenditure might not chime with the members, Corbyn said. “We need to put money into welfare and education and housing, not warfare,” he said. “And Streeting’s problem is [giving contracts to] Palantir and privatisation of the NHS.”
On reflection, Corbyn said he would actually vote. “Yeah, I would always vote. I would give myself a series of tests on economy, on opposition to racism, on peace and war, and environment. To stop the retreat on environment politics, stop the retreat away from public ownership, and stop the retreat away from the politics of peace globally; we can do better than funding war and subsidising the arms industry.”
“But yes,” he added, reflecting on the events of a decade ago, “you can’t ever totally divorce the personal from the political, even though many of us would like to.”
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Rishabh Pant
– Photo: IANS
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Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant has been fined Rs 12 lakh. Lucknow faced Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Friday and Pant has been fined by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for slow over rate in the match. Lucknow defeated CSK in this match played at Ekana Stadium.
A news surfaced in Iranian media about US President Donald Trump, which has attracted everyone’s attention. In the latest report, it has been claimed that the Iranian government is preparing to bring a proposal in the Parliament for a reward of 50 million euros for the assassination of Trump. According to Iran Wire, Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, has announced the drafting of a plan called ‘counter-action’ by the Islamic Republic’s military and security agencies. This draft includes a proposal to give a reward of 50 million euros for the murder of Donald Trump.
‘Netanyahu and CentCom commanders should also be targeted’
Azizi said Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) should be targeted for counter-action. Azizi talked about targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei because of his role in the assassination. Government supporter Ali Akbar Raefipur’s media outlet ‘Masaf’ had earlier claimed that financial resources worth $50 million have been secured for the campaign named ‘Kill Trump’.
Hacking group ‘Handala’ gave $50 million to assassinate Trump-Netanyahu
Iran Wire reported that the hacking group ‘Handala’ had issued a statement claiming that the group gave $50 million to eliminate Trump and Netanyahu. The statement of the hacking group claimed that this amount will be given to any person or group who will take real action. Their communication and financial channels are protected by encryption and anonymization technology.
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Kolkata defeated Gujarat
– Photo: IANS
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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Gujarat Titans by 29 runs. KKR, after losing the toss and opting to bat first in the match played at Eden Gardens on Saturday, scored 247 runs for two wickets in 20 overs with the help of half-centuries from Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvansi and Cameron Green. In reply, Gujarat team could score only 218 runs for four wickets. During this, Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler and Sai Sudarshan scored half-centuries. Whereas, for KKR, Sunil Narine took two wickets while Saurabh and Green got one each.
Isla Bell, the 19-year-old whose body was found in a Melbourne tip 18 months ago, has been remembered as a loving, courageous and open-hearted young woman with a green thumb and an “exquisitely beautiful soul”.
Friends, family and supporters gathered outside the Victorian state library on Saturday to honour the teenager and protest against prosecutors dropping a manslaughter charge against the man who had been accused of killing her.
Marat Ganiev, 55, who was originally charged with murdering Bell on 7 October 2024, had his charge downgraded to manslaughter and, this week, withdrawn, with prosecutors saying they had insufficient evidence for a trial.
Ganiev has instead been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, devastating Bell’s family and prompting them to demand changes to the system meant to protect victims of crime.
Justine Spokes, the mother of Isla Bell, outside the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne. Photograph: Jay Kogler/AAP
“My mind was prepared for that outcome, because my expectations were low,” Bell’s mother, Justine Spokes, said of the decision as she addressed the vigil on Saturday.
“[But] I just couldn’t prepare my heart for that. And they didn’t prepare my heart for that.”
Spokes spoke of her grief and frustration with the legal system – which she called “sick and perverted” and “not a justice system” – and the flaws in the system designed to protect vulnerable women and girls.
However, Spokes said she wanted to honour her daughter by ultimately choosing love over “everything else”.
“It’s this revolving door of really hurting men whose hearts are stone, and there’s sort of no real social consequence,” she said.
“We tackle this systemic cultural problem of misogyny in Australia from the inside out, you know? And … the heart is the doorway.”
Spokes said her daughter had endured other “horrors at the hands of really unwell men” before the experience that resulted in her death, but despite this pain she “just kept sharing her exquisitely beautiful soul”.
“See, the essence of my baby was palpable wherever she went,” Spokes said.
Bell’s remains were found inside a fridge in a rubbish tip in Dandenong in Melbourne’s south-east in November 2024, about six weeks after the night police believe she died.
In addition to Ganiev, Eyal Yaffe, 59, was originally accused of assisting an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice, but prosecutors withdrew the two charges and he walked free from court.
Spokes said there had been “all these chemicals around” her daughter’s body, meaning she could not touch her or brush her hair one last time.
Bell’s disappearance galvanised a community search that lasted for weeks but Spokes on Saturday said she knew her daughter had died the moment it happened.
She said she had felt her daughter come to her after her death.
The rally for Isla Bell outside the State Library of Victoria. Photograph: Jay Kogler/AAP
“She felt guilty. She thought it was her fault. I said, ‘No, my baby, it was never your fault’,” Spokes said. “And I had to let her go to where she needs to be.”
Many people in the crowd, dressed in orange to honour Bell, in memory of her long, vibrant hair, wept.
Other friends and relatives shared memories of Bell and called for an end to “toxic masculinity” and violence against women.
Justine’s father, David, spoke of his “gem” of a granddaughter with pride. He said she had loved gardening so much she carried secateurs in her bag everywhere with her, in case she wanted to take clippings.
He called on the Victorian attorney general, Sonya Kilkenny, to intervene in the case, saying the man who had been accused of killing his granddaughter should have been tried in front of the jury of his peers.
David Spokes, the grandfather of Isla Bell, during the rally. Photograph: Jay Kogler/AAP
“Our motivation is not vengeance or rage – our community needs to have a conversation about justice,” he said.
“Victims and families are not getting justice in this state. The system appears to be hardwired to limit effective prosecution.”
Bell’s uncle, Chris, told the vigil the justice system needed “a fucking revolution”.
“I remember … the last time I saw her, she went out the door and I gave her a hug and she went into the world as she always does bravely and with an open heart,” he said.
“Always swimming, that Isla, and meeting you and meeting the world and meeting injustice and meeting her anger and meeting her joy and meeting any feeling she had and any person and experience with love in her heart.”
