ISIS terrorist Mirsad Kandic to die in jail for death of Australian teenager Jake Bilardi

The Islamic State fighter who turned Aussie teenager Jake Bilardi into a suicide bomber has been sentenced to life in prison, despite complaining he had been “villainised”.

EXCLUSIVE

The evil Islamic State terrorist who turned an Australian teenager into a suicide bomber will die in jail, despite claiming he has been “villainised” and “misunderstood”.

Mirsad Kandic was on Saturday sentenced to life behind bars for terrorism offences including causing the death of Jake Bilardi, the 18-year-old from Melbourne who he recruited and encouraged to blow himself up in Iraq in 2015.

Jake Bilardi disappeared from his Melbourne home in 2014 and joined Islamic State. Picture: Supplied

In a last-ditch bid to one day be released, Kandic told a New York court he was the victim of “discrimination and Islamophobia that is widespread unfortunately in this country”, and that he was “not aware” he violated US laws.

“I find myself being misunderstood,” he said.

“I’m not a violent person, I’ve never been a violent person. I’ve never harmed anyone and nor do I ever intend to.”

Kandic was sentenced to life in prison for being an Islamic State recruiter. Picture: Supplied

Kandic, pictured in court in 2022, also smuggled weapons and spread propaganda.

But New York Eastern District Judge Nicholas Garaufis blasted his “evil” crimes, saying: “This is about taking one’s beliefs and turning them into hatred and murder.”

“We have an obligation to say never again, no more – that it’s not going to happen on our watch,” he said in sentencing the Bosnian from Brooklyn.

An exclusive investigation last year revealed how Kandic radicalised Bilardi online, smuggled him into the Middle East and encouraged his suicide bombing.

Security footage of Jake Bilardi at Melbourne airport in August 2014. Picture: Supplied

Jake Bilardi pictured after leaving Australia to join the Islamic State. Picture: Supplied

It also uncovered a series of desperate calls in which the teenager’s family pleaded with him to reconsider his death wish, before he launched the deadly attack that shocked Australia.

“Jake Bilardi did not deserve to die and he didn’t deserve to kill anybody,” Mr Garaufis said.

“He deserved to be spared at 18 years of age – the opportunity to become an adult, deal with his problems, and be a member of his community.”

In arguing for a life sentence, Assistant US Attorney Matthew Haggans said Kandic was a “merchant of death and destruction” who had never shown remorse and would return to “bloody jihad” if he was ever released.

He said Kandic turned Bilardi into a “fireball” that was a “powerful shot in the arm of ISIS and its propaganda”.

“Bilardi did what he did after he was trafficked by this defendant, inspired by this defendant, encouraged by this defendant,” Mr Haggans told the court.

Bilardi blew himself up in a van in Iraq in 2015. Picture: Supplied

From December 2013 to June 2017, Kandic recruited hundreds of foreign fighters for the death cult and smuggled weapons, military equipment and money into the Middle East.

He also operated more than 120 Twitter accounts to share gruesome propaganda including an infamous execution video – in which victims were forced to dig their own graves before being shot – Kandic called it the “best thing ever seen on screen”.

Kandic smuggled Bilardi (pictured left) into Syria and encouraged his suicide mission. Picture: Supplied

In a sign of his seniority within ISIS, prosecutors also used their sentencing memorandum to highlight Kandic’s close association with Melbourne’s Neil Prakash, a notorious alleged Islamic State fighter who is awaiting trial in Victoria.

George Washington University extremism program director Dr Lorenzo Vidino testified during the trial that Prakash, like Kandic, was a key figure in Islamic State’s “online recruitment and radicalisation” operation.

He said they were highly valued by ISIS because their English language skills and western passports enabled them to recruit fighters through networks in their home countries.

An image released by Islamic State of Anbar province showing the explosion from Jake Bilardi’s suicide mission.

In court on Saturday, more than a year after he was convicted by a jury, Kandic repeated that he had been “villainised” before apologising “those who have found themselves being offended or harmed by me”.

“For my actions … I seek forgiveness and I repent to my lord every day, 100 times a day,” he said.

Kandic offered a wry smile as Mr Haggans said there was “no reason to believe he will ever change”, and was later silent when Mr Garaufis asked if he was ready to be sentenced.

“I’m not going to wait for an answer,” the judge said, before locking Kandic up for life.

Originally published as ISIS terrorist Mirsad Kandic to die in jail for death of Australian teenager Jake Bilardi