Three Muslims jailed for kidnapping, brutally assaulting Israeli music producer in Wales due to 'Jewish heritage'

A remote cottage in the United Kingdom was chosen as the site for the kidnapping and brutal assault of Israeli music producer Itay Kashti in August 2024, a court in Swansea, Wales heard last week.

Three men outside of Wales – Faiz Shah (23) from Leeds, Mohammad Comrie (23) from Bradford and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime (20) from near London – were sentenced to eight years and one month for the “significant and highly sophisticated” plan and kidnapping.

“[Kashti] was an entirely innocent, hard-working music producer that you had identified as a victim based on your understanding of his wealth and his Jewish heritage,” stated Judge Catherine Richards during the sentencing on Friday.

“It seems to me that you justified your actions against the victim based on his background, as if he was less worthy of your respect and compassion. That is utterly abhorrent.”

Kashti, a London-based producer and composer, was lured over 200 miles to a remote Airbnb location in Carmarthenshire, Wales, by men, who used false identities to pose as a reputable music production company inviting him to a workshop.

“As an Israeli, this incident felt like my own personal October 7,” Kashti told the court in his victim statement. “I was kicked to the head several times, handcuffed to a radiator and forced to lie down on the floor. I was threatened and told if I were to try and escape, I’d be killed.”

“The awful attack of 7th of October was flashing through my mind as I lay restrained on the floor in handcuffs,” he added.

Kashti suffered swollen and bruised eyelids, a swollen nose and bruising to his back, knees and leg and a cut to the scalp, BBC News reported.

The attackers fled the property when they realized the taxi driver, who brought the victim from London, had escaped. Kashti was then able to free himself from the chains, locate his phone and run away.

Hiding in nearby bushes, Kashti called his wife, who alerted the police. With the aid of a police helicopter, officers found the three suspects hiding in nearby fields.

“This is a shocking and deeply troubling crime that the police have confirmed also had an antisemitic element due to the victim’s identity as an Israeli Jew,” the Community Security Trust (CST) posted on 𝕏.

“The victim suffered a terrible ordeal in which he was kidnapped, handcuffed, seriously assaulted, and even threatened with death by the perpetrators. In her sentencing remarks, the judge confirmed that all three defendants were motivated by racial and religious hostility in choosing the victim.”

In one of many Telegram messages shared with the court, one of the kidnappers wrote: “All three of us have complete 100% faith in Allah so we can’t fail.”