Member of Islamic state group who beheaded American hostages in Iraq and Syria, nicknamed “The Beatles” for their British accent was found guilty in US court of terrorist crimes.
jury found El Shafi Elsheikh, 33-year-old former British citizen, guilty on all eight points after the trial in Alexandria, Virginia.
The jury deliberated for four hours before delivering your verdict in most serious prosecution of member of the Islamic State in United States. Elsheikh stood motionless and did not react in any way to the announcement of the verdict. Now he’s facing up to life imprisonment in prison.
Elsheikh was charged with hostage-taking, conspiracy murder US citizens – journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller – and supporting terrorist organization.
2 week trial how in group forced their prisoners fight each other until they collapsed and made they sing violently song parodies. The surviving hostages testified that they themselves gladly rewrote “Hotel California” to “Hotel Osama” and made them sing the chorus “You will never leave.”
The charge was brought, although no one of surviving hostages could identify Elsheikh as one of their captors. Although the Beatles had a distinctive accent – the survivors called them “John”, “George” and “Ringo” – they always took great trying to hide their faces behind masks and ordered the hostages avoid eye contact or risk beating.
Prosecutors suggested in opening statements that Elsheikh was a man nicknamed “Ringo” but only had to prove that Elshih was one of The Beatles because evidence showed that all three were in charge players in scheme.
During close disputes on Wednesday, first Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh told jurors: “The Beatles were the lifeblood of of hostage conspiracy.
Elsheikh, who was captured by the Kurdish Syrian defense strength in 2018, eventually confessed to his role in diagram to investigators, and media interviewers, acknowledging that he helped collect email addresses and provided evidence of life to the families of the hostages as part of of buyout negotiations.
But evidence showed that he and the other Beatles were far away. more than paper pushers. Hostage survivors said they were afraid of men appearing on various prisons to which they were constantly transported and resettled.
Surviving witness Federico Motca spoke about the case in summer of 2013, when he and cellmate David Haynes were imprisoned in room with American hostage James Foley and British hostage John Cantley and forced fight in what they called “Battle Royale”. The losers were told they would be beaten with water. Weak from hungertwo of four passed out In one hour battle.
beliefs on all eight accounts in US District Court in Alexandria revolved around death of four American hostages. All but Muller were executed. in videos of beheadings circulated online. Müller was enslaved and repeatedly raped. times Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before she was assassinated.
They were among 26 hostages taken between 2012 and 2015 when the Islamic State group controlled large windrows of Iraq and Syria.
Defense lawyers acknowledged that Elsheikh joined Islamic state group but said prosecutors failed to prove he was a Beatle. They indicated the absence of clarity about which Beatle was who, and in the court’s opening statement cited confusion as to whether there were three or four Beatles.
Prosecutors said there were three of them: Elsheikh and his friends Aleksenda Kotey and Mohammed Emwazi. who everyone knew each other in UK before joining Islamic state.
Emwazi, who was known as “Jihadist John” and carried out execution, later killed in drone strike. Kotey and Elsheikh were captured together in 2018 and brought to Virginia. in from 2020 to face court after the US promised not to seek death penalty.
Kitty pleaded guilty last year in a plea deal that calls for life imprisonment, but leaves open the possibility that he could serve out his sentence in UK in 15 years in United States. Britain stripped Kotei and Elsheikh of their British citizenship.
The court heard heartbreaking testimony from survivors and their families. cassig father Ed, took witness and read a May 2014 letter written by his deceased son in captivity. It said: “Dad, I am paralyzed here. I’m afraid fight back. Part of I still have hope. Part of I am sure I’m going to die”.
Kassig – Aid worker taken hostage in Syria in 2013 – wrote that his captors tried to convince the hostages that they abandoned their families and their countries for refusal to meet the demands of the Islamic State.
“But of of course we know you do your best and more. Don’t worry papa if I go down I won’t think of anything but what I am know be true that you and mom love me more than the moon!
Cassig added: “If I do die, I believe that at least you and I can find shelter and solace in knowing that I went out as result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need”.
